Explain a fear, phobia or some euphoric action of yours that seems to be linked to a typically “neutral” stimulus, like a color, a piece of clothing, place on the highway, seat in a car, or whatever. Do you remember any classical conditioning event from your past that might have created this type of response? Be sure to identify the UCS, UCR, CS and CR for your audience.

One insurmountable fear suffered by this author is that of water, whether submersion, immersion, suffusion, or even inundation. Suffering the greatest of embarrassments as a result avoidance of any possible associated situations was a strong pursuit throughout this life.

When sister Donna and yours truly were ages 6 and 4 respectively, our mother took us to swimming lessons at the local YWCA. These lessons transpired in a large pool with several other little girls and one instructor. Parents could stay and observe on bleacher seats at the sides.

At the start of the first lesson, the class entered the water eager to listen and learn. Almost immediately, mother frantically cried out, “Don’t put your head in!” and “Don’t drown!”

Needless-to-say, not much swimming came about from that first lesson. At the outset of the second lesson, mom’s beleaguered outbursts of incredulous horror quashed any success of learning how to swim. There were no further lessons at the behest of the two small sisters. To this day, the thought of swimming, boating, or any water activity causes immediate attacks of extreme panic. The shower in the master bathroom has a handheld sprayer so direct control of the direction of the streaming water is easily controlled and kept away from the face.

Only two exposures to mother’s irrational behavior caused this tremendous fear to continue into and throughout an adult life! This is a textbook definition of classical conditioning. As it began, the water (in the swimming pool) equates to the neutral stimulus when not paired with other factors. However, mother’s frantic screams of abject terror upon entry to the water echoed through the pool. Her screams signify the unconditioned stimulus. Since the cries link to the water, water then becomes the conditioned stimulus. The unreasonable screams and cries elicited fear of loss of life or limb. That is, “I would drown if my face went under water.”

This clearly is the unconditioned response. After only two exposures to the same exaggerated situations, a deathly fear of water and drowning arose for encasement in this being, possibly forever. The heart rate increases automatically at the possibility of the face immersing in water. The reflexive response results in fear or dread (i.e. the conditioned response).

“I’ve developed a new philosophy…I only dread one day at a time.” Charlie Brown.

Works Cited

Berk, Laura. (1996). Infants, Children, and Adolescents. 2^nd Ed., Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Charles, C.M. (1999). Building Classroom Discipline. New York: Addison Wesley Longman.

Websites:

Behaviorism as a Learning Theory, course documents

Huitt, W. and J. Hummel. The Behavioral System, May, 1998.

Personal:

Discussion with sister, January 18, 2001.

Back to the Top

Lesson 2 Question 2

399OL

Spring 2001

Tom Anderson- Instructor

Dianne Fulton

What is your reaction to my inquiry about the exclusion of assertive discipline from the textbook?

This elementary teacher completed her undergraduate degree in elementary education at Illinois State University in 1968, and immediately started teaching at the same school in which she gained her elementary education. It is unfathomable that an author of a textbook would not discuss such a fundamental approach to classroom management as Assertive Discipline (AD). Although, no undergraduate classes about classroom management considered AD, District 186 indoctrinated all teachers with Canter’s AD procedures in the 1980’s. The district had mandatory after school workshops in the early 80’s that strongly advocated and reinforced the AD concept. Since that initial implementation and enforcement of the basic AD concept, repercussions from that style of discipline occur in the District’s classrooms to date. Requirements for teachers’ submission of discipline plans at the onset of each school year exact strict enforcement. The plans must include all rules decided by the class and the consequences remain clearly visible and delineated on the classroom walls throughout the school year. Parents and students must sign an agreement at the outset of the year.

There is considerable value to this plan on many of its points. Students must understand why rules exist and learn how to follow them by modeling and reteaching (Charles, 89). Another point of Canter’s ideals is redirecting student’s misbehavior with “eye contact,” close proximity, and words of praise. The Assertive Discipline model includes suggestions for the “difficult” student. This axiom further suggests that the teacher could display their concern and care on an individual basis, therefore, increasing the likelihood of “reaching” such a student. Additionally, Canter’s AD maxim suggests that teachers should be ready to enforce their discipline plan in a fair and consistent manner.

After reading Charles’ Chapter 4 on Assertive Discipline (AD), a question arose concerning where the error existed in such a program. If an author refrains from discussing the AD program in his new textbooks for the beginning teachers and classroom management, then one must assume there is a better system, of which all of this School District is unaware. What could that be?

Immediately, research and investigation into our text, Building Classroom Discipline began to determine what major points exceeded Assertive Discipline. Much of the basis of Assertive Discipline procedures are in place, but the wording of the verbiage is different. Jones’s directives (Chapter 5) help students support their own self-control. He suggests using incentives to achieve this phenomenon (109). He also suggests employing the general concepts of eye contact, physical proximity, remaining calm…(110-111), the same as AD.

Albert’s “Cooperative Discipline” relates many of the same principles for achieving classroom management. She suggests that students will behave when they personally establish a “code of conduct” and decide what is proper conduct in their classroom (133). Again, a like principle as stated in Assertive Discipline.

The main response of Carolyn Evertson to why AD was not included was that the American Psychological Association has labeled AD as psychological maltreatment. One of the main concerns for educators is teaching students responsibility for their own actions. Assertive Discipline (correctly applied) has incentives for positive behavior as well as consequences for uncorrected misbehaviors. Students do not learn that there are consequences for actions when they are no negative correlations for misbehavior. Such concepts of basic values, many times, not taught at home cannot carry through to the classroom. Teachers, therefore, must instill such a system of intrinsic values to their students. Two of the most important ones are empathy and respect towards other individuals (Gabe).

The Fairview Elementary (my current teaching post) principal’s personal library of books about discipline contained Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers by Carolyn Evertson, et.al. The publication date of the book is 1988. A review of the text included several similarities to Canter’s AD directions. Chapter entries include “Choosing Rules and Procedures”, “Rewards and Penalties,” “Getting Off to a Good Start”, and “maintaining Good Student Behavior.” In this last chapter Evertson says, ” . . .good classroom management depends on very careful planning of the classroom’s organization, rules, procedures, and initial activities. You will need to be actively involved in maintaining student cooperation and compliance with necessary classroom rules and procedures” (95). Anything about these directives sound familiar?

Assertive Discipline components appear in almost all other basic discipline plans, even though redefined. To state that it is inappropriate to include AD in a text because the highly suspect American Psychological Association (APA) found problems with the procedures is an inept attempt at disguising a blatant form of cheap marketing. In Evertson’s own admission, she gives much credence to Emmer and Aussiker saying (paraphrased): teachers and administrators cannot accurately perceive improved student behavior. The APA reference that Evertson used dates January 1988. Those aware know that the APA’s opinions change more rapidly than the breeze in Kansas. The APA is the same organization that last year questioned the need for fathers in a child’s life. (Dr. Laura) Therefore, I have wondered at some of the validity of the APA.

I am in agreement with other class members who endorse the principles of Assertive Discipline in the classroom.

“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” Unknown

Works Cited:

Charles, C.M. (1999). Building Classroom Discipline. 6^th Ed. New York: Longman.

Evertson, Carolyn, Emmer, E., Clements, B., Sanford, J., Worsham, M. (1988). Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers. Engelwood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Canter, Lee and Canter, Marlene. (1985). Assertive Discipline for Parents. Toronto: Harper & Row.

Websites:

Commentary: Lesson 2 Assertive Discipline

Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline. Kathryn Cotton.

http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html

http://www.drlaura.com/main/ Comments on APA were heard last year on her radio broadcast

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/sbarnett/edpsy399/assertivediscipline.html

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/mickley/edpsy33/lesson2q2.htm

Personal:

Gabe, Janice LCSW, MAC, lecture presentation, “Kids in Cultures of Change.” Jan. 11, 2001.

Back to the Top

************************************************************

Lesson 3 Question 1

399OL

Spring 2001

By Dianne Fulton

Question: What are some ways that you use punishment to control the actions of students? Are those ways effective? Are there other alternatives?

“Using aversive stimuli to control the actions of humans is traditional, diverse, and controversial, but above all, its use can be effective.” (Course Documents). Unfortunately, experience shows that some students respond only to the threat or use of punishment to control their behavior. During the course of this dissertation, a description of the current classroom management plan, the pros, and the cons of using punishment will ensue.

Armed with teaching experience dating to the early 70’s, this author has witnessed numerous changes to the techniques of discipline designed for the classroom. Some days, controlling the behaviors of students seems to require more time than presenting effective instruction. Within one teaching day it may be necessary to be all three types of teachers as defined by Canter (Charles 85.) Although being proactively involved is the ideal, there are days that may require a nonassertive response, a hostile response, as well as an assertive response style to various situations (87.)

Following our district’s guidelines at the onset of each school year, we teachers establish the rules appropriate for the particular third grade class. Discussions with the new class ascertain and set the rules that are necessary to insure effective learning. We guide the class to a consensus concerning the rules by demonstrating their purpose. Students, parents, and teachers sign a code of conduct contract that promises that a teacher will teach, a student will learn, and parents will be supportive. We also establish our consequences for our classroom rules. They consist of:

a verbal warning
a 5 minute time out (recess)
a 10 minute time out (recess)
missing an entire recess
a call to parents
an office referral

“Taking away a pleasant stimulus, the likelihood of the action being repeated in a similar situation is decreased. This effect is called Punishment.” (Course Documents.)

We investigated a visual chart for students (to “move their marker”) and a clipboard system with student’s names recording rule infractions. The checklist system is more effective for the following reasons:

Students at this age level may act out more getting an undesirable peer response when moving their own marker.
The offense receives coding to indicate whether the offense is disturbing others, or students are up and out of their seats.
With an extreme number of severe discipline problem students in any class, such students tend to be more explosive if their “checks” become public information.

This teacher professes the proactive, preventive approach to discipline. We exercise extraordinary efforts for observing students purposes of praise and encouragement when they follow the guidelines. Special encouragements extend to those who require particular assistance following the rules. Continuous movement about the room and providing feedback with “looks” (teacher’s “ole evil eye,” smiles, pats on the back, and thumbs up) is effective. The key to classroom discipline is fairness, but this can be very difficult when Behavioral Disordered students are in the same classroom. Great efforts to establish contracts with these students seem the most effective means of solving this particular problem. Third graders tend keep a close watch on fairness.

Additionally, parental support is absolutely necessary. Contacts to parents start early in the year, so when called them about discipline problems, trust is already in place. Furthermore, a very successful plan for early elementary teachers includes sending home a weekly behavior checklist for parental information purposes. This simple form indicates the number of behavior checks a student has earned for the week. Included is a personal note to the particular parents for monitoring their child’s behavior, the type of offenses, etc. The parents should sign and return the forms, within the weekly “Home Pride Folders,” which include the student’s weekly assignments.

There are some problems implementing this discipline plan. Due to busing and safety requirements, teachers may not keep students after school. Due to daily scheduling, the 3^rd grade has no formal recess periods allotted. On occasion, we allow extemporaneous recess periods. However, without an aid, the students who deserve time outs cannot be supervised separately, thereby defeating the system. The period that is available and somewhat effective is during the lunchtime recess. During adequate weather periods, the students go out of doors during that period. Stipulating time-outs, detentions, etc., during such periods is a very effective form of paying off infractions of the rules. Regardless, this detracts from the 45 minutes available for a personal lunch and the substantial preparations for the remainder of the day. So many of the times, one feels that we are punishing ourselves. During inclement weather (which is most of the winter) students remain in the classroom during the lunch recess, so there is no place available to have a meaningful “time out.” The struggle with alternatives to this plan, especially this winter, was non-productive.

It is more than evident from the extensive experience of this educator that plans for the sound management of discipline are essential for successful learning in all classrooms. Drugs and alcohol directly and indirectly influence the students. Gang members have already approached some of the third graders. Many of their moms and dads have abdicated their parental responsibilities and half of the class does not have phone numbers. It is essential to express this so that one understands that I am not whining, nor am I winning.

Works Cited:

Charles, C.M. (1999). Building Classroom Discipline. 6^th Ed. New York: Longman.

Anderson, Tom. Course Documents.

Churchward, Budd. Techniques for Better Classroom Discipline.

KNEA. Tips for Teachers.

Back to the Top

Edpsy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson, Instructor

Lesson 3, Question 2

Punishment still lingers in various forms in most school districts – so does corporal punishment! Where? In what forms does it exist in your district? What does research say about the effects of punishment, and of corporal punishment? What do you say about the use of punishment? Why?

“It is estimated that corporal punishment is administered between 1 and 2 million times a year in schools in the United States. Increasingly, states are abolishing corporal punishment as a means of discipline, but statutes in some states still allow school officials to use this form of discipline.” (APA) It is hard to believe in this day and age only 27 state legislatures have abolished corporal punishment in schools. Corporal punishment still exists throughout the world, even in the new millennium, but its use is widely discouraged. Third world countries in Africa are even trying to abolish this abuse of human rights. (Guardian)

During this teacher’s days of elementary school, the male sixth grade teacher took the boys and even a few girls out into the hall to receive swats from a huge wooden paddle. Most of the students that remained in the classroom unblemished from the paddle felt some indignation and empathized with their “punished” classmates, especially when the punishment was unjust. At the outset of my teaching career in the 1970’s, corporal punishment remained at Fairview Elementary. One first grade teacher became quite notorious for applying the paddle. The selection, on this teacher’s part, of a different classroom management plan insured no spanking of students in the assigned classroom. None-the-less, some of the same students, after misbehaving outside of the classroom, experienced corporal punishment administered by the female principal. Since witnesses had to be present, the teacher suffered along with her students. The punishment occurred only after parents agreed by completing a particular form describing the means and rules for corporal punishment. Since the 1980’s, District 186 forbade the use of corporal punishment at any of the district schools, for any reason. However, an incident of pseudo-corporal punishment happened last year in the district. A supervisor and security officer (partly in jest) handcuffed a middle school student, who was “goofing off” on the playground, to a fence. Parental outrage by this incident was exactly that. Incidentally, the district administrators retaliated, insuring no other reoccurrence of a similar staff infraction.

Research absolutely discourages the use of corporal punishment. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that corporal punishment may adversely affect a student’s self-image and school achievement. Additionally, corporal punishment may also contribute to disruptive and violent student behavior (APA.) The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry believes that corporal punishment, “signals (to) the child that a way to settle interpersonal conflicts is to use physical force and inflict pain They continue to state that punitive punishment may also contribute to disruptive and violent student behavior. (APA) Children will also fail to develop trusting, secure relationships with adults and fail to evolve the necessary skills to settle disputes or wield authority in less violent ways.” (alcorenv) Researchers Docking, Doyle, and Maurer and Wallerstein, have found that:

The results of corporal punishment are unpredictable.

· Even when it is successful at inhibiting inappropriate behavior, corporal punishment still doesn’t foster appropriate behavior.

· Corporal punishment is sometimes unintentionally reinforcing, since it brings attention from adults and peers.

· Corporal punishment often creates resentment and hostility, making good working relationships harder to create in the future.

· Corporal punishment is related to undesirable outcomes, such as increased vandalism and dropping out.

The Religious Tolerance Organization also has many arguments against spanking. There reasoning includes:

· It is ineffective. (It will stop the misbehavior only momentarily).

· It can lead to abuse. (Spanking may be used often, and corporal punishment will become the standard response that could be carried through to adulthood, thus repeating the cycle.

· It can unintentionally cause serious physical damage.

· It trains a child to use violence.

· Slapping or any other type of force used on the buttocks is a sexual violation.

· Spanking lowers the IQ. (A study of 960 children showed that those who were rarely or never spanked had an average IQ of 102, whereas the frequently spanked children had an IQ of 98. It goes on to state that they believe that parents who do not spank are forced to use more reasoning and explaining while disciplining the child, thus the verbal parent-child interactions enhance the child’s cognitive ability.

· Spanking creates fear in the child.

In addition to these moral and psychological against using corporal punishment, there is also the argument and statistics that show racial and gender bias. The documents from the U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 1998 Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Reports have listed the ten worst states by percentage of students struck by educators. (Illinois was not on this list!) An additional bar graph shows that there is a steady decline in the use of corporal punishment from about 1.5 million in 1980 to 365,000 in 1999. This survey also points out the significant disproportion of African American students subjected to physical punishment, and the worsening of that disproportion. (U.S. Department of Education)

There is a voluminous amount of documentation stating that corporal punishment is unfathomable in the public school system. This is not an alternative to classroom management. At best, it is a very poor tool. The research for this paper included considering the merits of corporal punishment, which always indicated that there are more effective means to discipline students. The effect of corporal punishment can damage a student’s self-esteem and cause irreparable damage in the relationship between student and teacher. Frankly, there is over-sensitivity about this on the part of the teacher. “Violence begets violence” and the cycle may continue with the student “getting even.” Personal experiences with corporal punishment have always been very negative. Although, there is no argument offered on the part of this teacher towards total abolition of this form of punishment from all school systems, there are other forms of punishment that deserve even more attention. Although, corporal punishment does not attribute to a student’s learning, the insidious forms of punishment such as derogatory comments by teachers that cause students to loose all motivation in particular subjects are just as serious.

Works Cited

Academy of Pediatrics Corporal Punishment in Schools (RE9754). Volume

106, Number 02. August 2000, p. 343.

alcorenv Corporal Punishment in Schools. A Policy Statement by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, June 1988.

Course Documents. http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html

Guardian Corporal Punishment Should be Abolished in Schools. 12-14-99.

Religious Tolerance Organization The Case Against Corporal Punishment

U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 1998 Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Reports Our Ten Worst States.

Personal:

Fairview Elementary School, Springfield, Illinois. 6^th grade. 1960.

Fairview Elementary School, Springfield, Illinois. 1972-Present.

Back to the Top

Edpsy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 4 Question 4

*In some ways Kounin’s model casts the teacher into an orchestra conductor’s role. Discuss how this can be a reasonable metaphor, and some places where the metaphor breaks down. Does this metaphor work well to explain your teaching techniques? Design one that might work better.

Kounin’s metaphor

Orchestra conductors actively seek to maximize the positive continuity of their charge while minimizing the negative aspect of a diminishing bottom line. In a stretch, this is comparable to teachers influencing elements in the classroom to achieve positive learning situation. In reality, Kounin’s metaphor fails by being overly simplistic in accordance with today’s actualities. The members of a symphony orchestra are highly motivated because their living comes from a specific purpose-to produce entertaining music, to which many will listen and probably purchase. The simple idea is that melodious tunes sell. The “orchestra members” of a classroom (the students) are not always in class to learn. A musician’s chosen field is orchestrated for a common goal including a shared love of music, but students do not always realize or acknowledge that their main pursuit of a living is learning. Although, learning for the classroom student may not immediately pay off in vast sums of money, it is the means by which they can become a member of an orchestra, thereby obtaining those same vast sums of money. The musician demonstrates god-given talents and hard-earned skills amassed through years of practice. Early elementary teachers are the ones preparing the prospective orchestra members by showing them how to put their instruments together, how to follow music, and how to play and connect the basic notes. Therefore, they are more of a conductor of students rather than musicians.

Kounin’s seven models of discipline apply directly to the conductor metaphor. As classmates Barnett and Trieger stated, the conductor’s “withitness” is necessary for the orchestra’s performance. A teacher with this quality will increase her student’s performance in all academic areas. Smooth transitions from one piece (each lesson) to the next make the overall results much more melodious. The orchestra members all know which piece and page is next, and students must learn the same smooth transitions. Pupils must be alert (accountable) for their learning, and the conductor is obliged to insure they remain so. The district’s transition to State Leaning Standards and Benchmarks is a step in this direction. The final model for preventing boredom by providing variety to lessons compares to the variations and interpretations applied to the music repeatedly played by the symphony. (Humboldt).

An observation of Kounin states, “that teachers’ personality traits had little to do with classroom control. In reference to teacher traits such as friendliness, helpfulness, rapport, warmth, patience, and the like, he declared that (contrary to popular opinion) such traits are of no value in managing a classroom. Management, he insisted, is a complicated technology consisting of specific techniques applied at the appropriate times and in the appropriate manner so as to provide learning experiences that are nonsatiating.” (Charles 42). This axiom is not applicable in all situations. A true orchestra is not just a sum of management techniques, and the conductor is a person who truly loves music. Likewise, what makes an effective teacher is more than the technique they employ. It is extremely disheartening to witness the number of clinical evaluations that state nothing more than what works in an average classroom. A classroom is composed of individuals who display individual behaviors and individual purposes. A teacher is obliged to deal with individuals, on an individual basis. A conductor deals with musicians making music. Comparing a teacher to a conductor is oversimplifying the resemblance.

Using Kounin’s metaphor in my classroom

Since the onset of this class, experience shows that modifications occur on this teachers part to several of the classroom management techniques noted in our text and reading. Likewise, we implement several of Kounin’s techniques. Employment of the “ripple effect,” where one student is reprimanded, thus affecting other students’ behavior is appropriate in certain instances. Use of this technique in minor behavior issues such as noisiness or getting up without permission shows excellent results in most cases.

Several techniques of “withitness” are necessary for teachers. “Selecting the proper student for correction” (Charles 37) is definitely advantageous. There is a preference for the eyesight to be better than 20/20 when identifying the misbehaving student. Another element, timing, is necessary to insure that an incident does not get out of hand. A classroom example is insuring that pencil sharpening does not delay a written assignment.

Other comparisons to Kounin’s work are:

Momentum and smoothness- “Getting activities started promptly, and keeping them moving ahead, bringing closure or transition.” Example-One must have a beginning routine. Each morning at exactly 8:25, all students assigned to room 125 at Fairview Elementary enter the classroom, mark their attendance and lunch preference on a chart by the door, and complete a daily language review sheet at their desks to start the day. Except for fire, floods, and acts of God, there are no variations upon this theme. Additionally, the site-based management team in our school building reduced the number of unanticipated classroom distractions by remanding intercom messages to a prescribed time-period during the school day. The contribution to maintaining momentum in the classroom and insuring the smoothness of the daily grind was exceptional.
Group Alerting- “the ability to keep students alert, attentive, and actively involved in appropriate activities is essential to a productive, efficient classroom. (38-39).

This emerges and abounds through good questioning and the application of unrelenting classroom motivational techniques.

Accountability- “holding each student in the group responsible for active involvement in learning the facts, concepts, or procedures being taught.” (39.)

Silently signaling answers with hand signals is one procedure that is used during each class to insure each child is answering and thinking. Even if a student is incorrect and observes his neighbor signaling correctly, they learn the correct response without publicity. Teachers may call on specific students to explain answers correctly. Thumbs up or down for opinion/true/false questioning is easy to implement. Individual dry erase boards practicing math is a very effective tool. The teacher can easily sum up (no pun intended) the whole class’s understanding of concepts.

· Overlapping- “refers to attending to two or more issues at the same time” (40).

While conducting a small group, hand signals can redirect another student’s behavior or activities, such as a need to sharpen a pencil, get a drink, etc…

Another metaphor for teaching:

A metaphor that is certainly self-serving and descriptive is that teachers are gardeners. Each year a gardener prepares the soil for the new crop of seeds. The seeds will definitely be a mixed variety. The gardener needs to be aware of such rich diversity in seeds and the special care each kind needs. The gardener’s experience will help him know what problems to anticipate and how to prepare for them. Next, a gardener must plan to plant the seeds in a manner or design that they will not strangle or overcrowd neighboring plants, like and unlike species. The gardener’s tools (teaching techniques) must be sharp and in good repair. A good gardener is always on the lookout for weeds (undesirable behavior) and will first use preventative measures (classroom rules) to inhibit the unwanted growth. If a weed (problem) pops up, the gardener’s diligence will insure the weeds cannot get a foot-hold, keeping them from spreading and ruining or lessening the whole crop’s yield. Additionally, insects and pests (excess baggage that comes with students) will be controlled or eradicated to insure the best crop. A gardener will nurture his plants with sunlight (classroom management), fertilizer (knowledge), and water (methods) insuring the young seedlings will refrain from withering or dying out. An extremely necessary virtue of a gardener is patience. If a plant is not thriving, a good gardener will use whatever means necessary to bring the seedling to good health. Despite meticulous care, a few plants will come up a few pedals short of a bloom! It is the duty of a gardener to care for his plants in a way that will produce the highest yield so they will go on and produce new seeds for the next year.

Works Cited

Charles, C. M. Building Classroom Discipline. Sixth Edition. New York: Longman.

Classmates: Barnett, Treiger, et.al, Edpsy390OL Spring, 2001

Course Documents. Commentary on Kounin:

http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/discip-options.html

Personal experience:

Teaching 2^nd-5^th grades at Fairview Elementary School, Springfield, Illinois. 1972-present.

Back to the top

Edpsy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 5 Question 3

Report some testimonies when your short-term memory or that of your students appears to be overloaded. What did you do about it?

After reading several colleagues remarks and examples of short-term memory overload, the decision was to explore the personal and classroom manifestations of overloading. Since the 50^th birthday recently passed, it was necessary to insure that the short-term memory lapses were actually attributable to overload and not the forgetfulness of old age!

Several sources defined and explained how short-term memory works.

Bruning states,” Like sensory memory, short-term memory is limited with respect to capacity and duration.” The text goes on to state Miller’s theory of the memory system in that the brain can “hold no more than seven or so chunks (meaningful units of information) in memory at one time” (Bruning 36-37.) In Understanding How You Learn, MacDonald states that, “Short-term memory functions as the first active storage site in your memory process. It is responsible for processing information to make it understandable, meaningful, and useable.” She also states, “ the information disappears quickly from short-term memory. Information is held here for only about twenty seconds. It is the kind of memory you use when you look up a telephone number.” Considering all of the above, it becomes very apparent how overloading affects short-term memory.

Additionally, Goodhead clarifies the meaning of short-term memory in his paper, “The Difference Between Short-Term and Long-Term Memory.”

Characteristics of Short-term and Long-Term Memory

Entry of Information
Short Term Memory (STM)	Long Term Memory (LTM)
Enters as a result of applying attention to the stimulus, which has been momentarily (about a quarter of a second) held in a visual or auditory sensory registry.	1) If information in the STM is rehearsed enough, then it is transferred to the LTM. 2) If meaning is applied to the information in STM, this may lead to the transfer of information.
Modality- information must be encoded
Three possibilities 1) Acoustic coding (phonemic) sub-vocal sounds being rehearsed (similar to repeating a phone # in order to remember it). 2) Visual coding- storing information as pictures rather than sounds. 3) Semantic coding – applying meaning to information, relating it to something abstract. 4) Possibly an amalgam of acoustic and visual codes.	LTM is encoded semantically based on meanings of the items. Acoustic and visual coding are also evident.
Capacity
Limited and small. Miller’s 7 “chunks”	No known limit
Duration
Up to 30 seconds. 6-12 seconds. 30 seconds (three different studies by Peterson and Peterson, Atkinson and Shiffrin and Hebb)	Minutes to potentially a lifetime.
Maintenance
Continued attention and rehearsal of information.	Through repetition and organization of data such as grouping information according to its meaning.

Goodhead

Information from the Course CD-Rom from Tom Anderson states, “The workhorse of cognition is short-term, or working memory. Short-term memory:

Contains traces, which decay in about 10 seconds.
Holds 7 plus or minus 2 chunks of information
Is able to load and empty itself very quickly.
Is involved in virtually all aspects of cognition (both incoming and outgoing functions).
Can become over loaded and fail to operate smoothly.” (Anderson).

All of the testimonies about the short-term overload by the other students are consistent with personal experiences. Having driven home from work and remembering nothing about the driving experience happens quite often (Haberkorn.) Forgetting information received in the first hectic minutes of school; been there, done that (Leggett.) This week, two stacks of notes supposed to go home to parents showed up in the middle of teaching and still remain on the desk. In addition, information passed by family members passed on by (Adkins). Just last week while completing an assignment for this class, our son came by to announce his attendance at dinner on Sunday. That too passed; there was absolutely no recollection of the verbal stimulus, thereby, there was a total lack of preparation for his arrival. It is to the point at this time that keeping lists means there is one more thing for loosing and/or forgetting.

Many years of teaching experience reveal that one must provide information to students in a manner that is recognizable and consistent with their grade level. All of the teaching manuals as well as good common sense lend this to be an absolute. Students receive encouragement to “memorize” certain information deemed necessary for success, however one simply must first teach them to “memorize.” One activity in the “gifted curriculum” encourages students to remember a number of unrelated items after looking at them for only a short amount of time. Teaching strategies in these instances suggest finding similarities, patterns, and special relationships in the various arrays. The gifted literature indicates that this is a skill the learner must rehearse.

It is very refreshing to note that much forgetfulness is attributable to short-term memory overload.

Works Cited

Anderson, Tom. Power Point Presentation. “Introduction to Cognitive

Psychology, Information Processing and Memory. 1999. CTER CD-Rom.

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive Psychology and Instruction, 1999.

Goodhead, Jared. “The Difference Between Short-Term and Long-Term Memory. 1999.

MacDonald, Rita. “Understanding How You Learn.” 1993.

Colleagues – Spring 2001, Edpsy 399OL. Adkins, Haberkorn, Leggett.

Personal experience:

Fairview Elementary School 1972-present. (Regular education, and gifted).

Back to the Top

Edpsy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 7 Question 2

The use of mnemonics has had a varied history. Currently, their use is in vogue thus, a section in the textbook is devoted to a discussion of various types. Not long age, mnemonics were thought to be a waste of time, and that only “meaningful” learning should be attempted in classroom teaching. Designing and learning a mnemonic was thought to be meaningless learning. What is your disposition on their usefulness, and what do they contribute to classroom learning? Contribute some mnemonics that you teach, have learned and/or have heard of.

Mnemonics do have their place in the classroom and teaching the strategies of mnemonics can help students organize and use their encoding processes. Experience at the elementary levels included the use of some mnemonics consistent even to this date. After researching this subject in the text and on-line, extensive kinds of mnemonics almost limitless in number exist including the peg method, the method of loci, the link method, stories, first letter method, and the keyword method (Bruning 82-87.)

There are innumerable on-line cites that have suggestions and advice.

Mindtools hints that memory tricks are useful. They warn when employing the peg system (e.g. number/rhyme,) in some instances it would be beneficial that the link work both ways. Additionally, when mnemonics fail, it might be that the images are not vivid enough; they do not have enough meaning, or strength to the recipient. Other suggestions from Mindtools encourage the use of positive or vivid images, exaggerated size, humor, symbols, using the senses, bringing three dimensions and movement to an image, and locating similar mnemonics in different places. Above all, “the mnemonic should clearly relate to the thing being remembered and that it should be vivid enough to be clearly remembered whenever you think about it” (Mindtools.)

A recalled childhood application is how to spell “geography.” Using the first-letter method the following sentence arises, “Georgie Eats Old Greasy Rags And Paints Houses Yellow.” Another one recalled and remembered well is how to spell ENCYCLOPEDIA. Jiminy Cricket sang a song on the Mickey Mouse Club that accomplishes the desired results. (I just now had to do this when typing it!) However, today’s students do not relate to Jiminy Cricket, and there is no possibility of teaching them the song without a similar connection. In discussions with colleagues, we realized several students and adults have to sing the alphabet song to place the letters in order. Most students will begin at the beginning of the song when trying to retrieve the letter that comes after “N”. Of course, there is the, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” for teaching the planets in our solar system. Knowing the concept is a part of the Third Grade Curriculum. Obviously, HOMES exists in the realm of Social Studies. The months of the year is taught best using the old familiar rhyme. Additionally, the knuckle trick teaches which months have 31 days and which have 30. Some of my personal linking methods for learning some of the more difficult multiplication facts follow. These were made up and used with classes several years ago to help them learn these particular facts. (Understand that they need visual cueing as well as the rhymes to be effective.)

“6x6 pick up sticks, the answer is 36.” (The sixes are little shovels picking up sticks).
“6x7 tie your shoe, the answer is 42.” (We write the seven as a dangling shoelace.)
“7x7 just in time, the answer is 49.” (There is also 7x7 =49 think of miner for the FORTY-NINERS).
“8x8 touch the floor, the answer is 64.” (As we make the eights, they go down on the line and “touch” the floor.)

There are many tricks for the nine multiplication facts. One of the easiest for students to learn is the finger method. If it is 9x3, with hands flat in front of you, you put your third finger down. There are two fingers up on the left side of that finger, and seven up on the right side of the bent finger, so the answer is 27.

Miss Erin Ollech, my daughter recited quite a few mnemonic tricks for learning the cranial nerves in her nueroanatomy class. “On Old Olympus Towering Top A Fin In German Girl Viewed Spanish Hops,” is one example she learned. There are several websites devoted to medical students and their mnemonic devices. This weekend, after watching a tape of my daughter working with a client afflicted with verbal Apraxia, it became evident that the touch cues she taught and used to recall speech were examples of using touch and movement mnemonics. Additionally, the spelling tips from J. Haberkorn are very clever and worth adding to one’s repertoire.

Since the proper spelling for the word, “mnemonic” escapes this teacher’s overwhelmed and overloaded short-term memory, a mnemonic trick is essential! It was necessary to check the spelling each time the word appeared in this manuscript. Halfway through, this seemed to help, “My New Education May Obviously Need Interesting Clichés.”

Works Cited

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive Psychology and Instruction, 1999.

http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/fallacy.html How memory works.

http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/memhints.html Hints on Memory Techniques

http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/mneffmeffc.html Using Mnemonics to Learn More Effectively

J. Haberkorn, Question 7-2, Spring 2001, Edpsy399 OL.

Personal experience:

Discussions with colleagues, February 2001, at Fairview School.

Discussions with family members, February 2001.

Teaching at Fairview Elementary School, 1972-present.

Back to the Top

Edpsy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson, Instructor

Lesson 8 Question 2

Do you think the phonics vs. whole language debate in the learning to read process, is relevant when thinking about students reading from the computer screen?

The Phonics vs. Whole Language Debate

The controversial debate about what is the best way for learning, especially learning to read continues in a manner, which proliferates itself even more than ever. There are several websites and books offering information discussing the advantages of both of the methods. Whole language advocates propose that reading should take place in the same way that natural language learning occurs. Children must encounter text at a very early age in its complete form- stories, poems, letters, and posters… so they can appreciate the communicative function of written language (Berk 435). The whole language approach suggests that picture and context cues are the best means to derive for context unfamiliar words.

The phonics approach or (basic skills) advocates suggest that the basic rules for translating written symbols into sounds are the first requirements in the process for learning to read. Only after the mastery of the basic skills should students see and be taught how to read complex material (Berk 435). Some research at Yale University’s Center for Learning and Attention investigated “cutting-edge technology of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)” devices to watch the brain read. The observers concluded, “The brain reads by breaking words into sounds” (Lally and Price). They expand their observations by stating that the research results from the MRI’s show, “without the ability to sound out words, the brain is stumped.” Other statements include, “Phonics may come naturally in some, or in others it needs to be taught. If phonics (sounding out) comes first, then the meaning comes later.”

“Battles over the two reading methods have been ugly, and the casualties have been children” (Lally and Price).

Most research does at least admit that both forms are appropriate and required for teaching reading or becoming an effective reader. First, the phoneme awareness (letter-sound relationships of traditional phonics) enables children to decipher words with which they have not encountered. As the application of the method becomes more ingrained, then higher-level activities involved in comprehension evolves. Phonics should be taught along with exposure to literature by reading to children and using interesting books to read (whole language approach) (Berk). Curtis concludes that despite the differences in how children learn, most learn through a combination of techniques. That fact, plus the different strengths that each method offers, suggests that a mixed approach for each child will probably be the most beneficial (Curtis).

Almost 30 years of teaching experience at the early elementary grades observed the pendulum swinging to both extremes. In the seventies, the phonics approach received the total support of District 186 for being the desired means for teaching reading. Almost immediately then, the district adopted the method where teachers were no longer suppose to instruct reading in ability groups, but teach whole language using a literary journal rich in literary stories and styles. After distributing the student reading text one year, a student asked. “Oh, is this the book you are going to read to us this year?”

The answer (with my utmost concern) was, “Yes, it probably is.”

A few years ago, the District implemented another reading program. Again, the student text had extensive with grade level appropriate literature with minor emphasis on phonic skills. The following year, after incorporating this text, teachers responded to directions encouraging them to work with guided reading groups. The program modification required small groups reading books at the student’s grade level. The new texts and materials were supplemental materials and nothing more. The district does employ a phonics approach along with the whole language methodology. Additionally, Springfield District 186 is also a strong supporter of Reading Recovery.

Reviews of research on the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction

Computer technology is very useful to assisting students with learning to read. There are advantages and disadvantages of computer-assisted instruction, though. Specifically designed educational software programs permitting students to practice basic reading skills and acquire new knowledge are more prevalent than ever. Properly designed software programs provide immediate feedback and additional practice on problems for students who did not achieve the projected level of correct responses. The appearance of game-like activities that teach new concepts provides increased interest and motivation to learn. As soon as children demonstrate proficiency with reading and write, they may use a computer’s word processing program to achieve fluency. The student then experiences no delays in learning language skills by the fine motor skills of handwriting (of course, there is the skill of word processing that needs attention) (Berk).

Negative concerns about computer-assisted instruction happen from the fact that computers are more likely to be available in economically endowed schools. Some research indicates that the gap between lower and middle-income students is widening due to the availability and support of computers in the middle and higher income groups.

“Computers are attractive to children because of their multiple communicative modes. Color graphics, lively animation, voice, music, and text combine to sustain interest.” Critics worry children might become too dependent on highly stimulating, entertaining formats (Berk 452). At this time it is unknown if children will be able to generalize the academic skills they acquire from the computer to other contexts. Personal experience and observations indicate that computer experiences are beneficial. The academic and fine motor skills obtained readily transfer to reading level, dexterity, focus, and more profound reasoning applications. Reviews of research on the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction show mixed results that vary with the skill taught, the skill level of the learner, the system evaluated, and the age or grade of the research sample (Electronic Library). The Electronic Library and Superkids list several educational software programs for reading comprehension.

Reading from a computer screen

Question 2 of Lesson 8 not only implied the use of the phonics vs. whole language debate, but also asked what is the best manner to teach older students how to read directly from a computer screen. The Electronic Library suggests there are several variables that influence the success of computer applications in reading, including:

1. Amount of time on task

2. The severity of the reading or learning disability

3. The nature of the student’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, particularly auditory or visual processing of information

4. The intelligibility of the digitized or synthesized speech as perceived by the student

5. The consistency with which the computer help systems are accessed by the student who may have a habit of skipping or guessing a word rather than tagging it for the computer to provide feedback

6. The nature of the feedback.

Younger children (3^rd –4^th) grade may have problems reading the computer screen because young students:

1) lack metacognitive skills,

2) need more computer training time,

3) have less ability to monitor their own reading or spelling miscues in order to recognize when mistakes are made,

4) require more teacher monitoring,

5) have less experience reading, and

6) have wider differential development of auditory and visual processing skills.

The students in Room 125 at Fairview Elementary use computers for research tools only after modeling what needs to be accomplished, bookmarking carefully selected sources, and composing reports with as much teacher or aide guidance as possible. These skills are essential to acquire thorough efficiency and be effective in all aspects of computer operations. Another important comprehension skill is that of skimming or scanning to find pertinent information. Younger students conducting research on the Internet require much guidance because much informational text is not in a “student-friendly” format.

Works Cited

Berk, Laura E. Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Second Edition. Boston:

Bacon. 1996.

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive

Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill. 1999.

Chun, Dorothy M. “Research on Text Comprehension in Multimedia

Environments. Course Documents.

Curtis, Jenny. “Phonics verses Whole Language. Which is Better?”

http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/features/reading/phonics.shtml

Lally, Kathy and Debbie M. Price.

http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~jmatthew/dyslex2.htm

Your Document- Electronic Library. Using computer technology to monitor student progress and remediate reading problems.

http://www.edu.uleth.ca/ciccte/gradpro.pgs/CompTechPage/Tech&Reading.html

Personal experience:

Fairview Elementary School, 1972-Present, Springfield School District 186,

Springfield, Illinois.

Back to the Top

Edpsy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 9, Question 3

Analyze ***”The Writing Conference”***, the video segment of Ms. Dawn Harris Martine’s, second grade teacher from a Harlem elementary school, who is working with a student on a writing assignment.

Ms. Martine demonstrated some excellent writing strategies in the short video clip. Her second graders were enthusiastic and proud of their work. She sought and encouraged illustrations because they stimulate a student to write with a much increased confidence and desire. Ms. Martine employed the technique of “conferencing” with Damien while he told her about his story. She encouraged him and indicated “connections” between his writing and other books.

This short video allowed only a brief view of the overall writing classroom. A longer observation may certainly illustrate more of the required elements in a classroom, which enhance students’ writing skills. Ms. Martine’s attitude and encouragement are signs that all of her students will develop writing skills in excess of the ordinary. Bruning concurs that there is much more writing being done in schools, today, especially at the elementary level (Bruning 296). Information for New Writing Teachers pronounces the following analogy emphasizing proper methods for the teaching of writing, “It’s much like learning to drive. Doing nothing but giving back their writing with marks all over it and lecturing is the same as giving somebody the keys to a car and telling them just to get in and drive. You must tell them where the steering wheel and brake pedal are, what they do and exactly how to use them.”

The State of Illinois’ Superintendent of Schools defined writing standards and benchmarks for all grade levels. Considering those goals, elementary teachers in Springfield School District 186 are required to instruct and score students through the process of “Progress Writing.” Additionally, a nine-week course titled, “Writer’s Workshop” instructed District 186 third through fifth grade teachers how to encourage students to write. This research-based course (Calkins) demonstrated and recommended many of the same techniques described in the videos. Writer’s Workshop work best when they occur each day. At the beginning of the year, the teacher reads literature, which demonstrates good writing techniques and styles, aloud. Before beginning the actual writing process, students orally relate their own experiences to a partner in an effort to help become comfortable with telling stories in their own style. Pictures, objects, and special topics are permissible for students to share with their partners. After 3-4 weeks of expressing his or her ideas orally, every student initiates a daily notebook or journal. The teacher maintains a notebook to share her entries with the class for modeling and encouragement. As previously stated, students must write something in the journal each day and share it with others. A short lesson precedes the writing period each day. Teachers determine the subject of the mini-lesson to meet the needs of the class, and may introduce certain techniques of good writing. Some examples of mini-lessons include how to write a good beginning or a “WOW” ending. Using conversation, capitalization, finding ideas to write about, and editing can all be mini-lessons that model writing techniques.

Another component of teaching writing is “conferencing” with a student. A simple recording system documents a student’s progress. The teacher’s role here is to encourage and ask questions to draw from the writer’s ideas; the intentions are to improve the output. Some of questions are:

· How is it going?

· What are you doing today as a writer?

· What work are you doing as a writer this period?

· What do you need help with today?

If one requires more information in order to decide what to teach the student, some supplementary questions are:

Questions to nudge students to say more such as, “Could you explain what you mean by…?”
Questions that grow out of our knowledge of what good writers do, such as, “What kind of revisions have you made?”
Questions about students’ writing strategies, such as, “How are you going to do this work?”

Questions that come from what we already know about students, such as, “How did you pick this idea for your draft this time?”
Questions connected to the mini-lesson.
Questions about a students’ decisions, such as, “Why did you pick these places to add on?” (Anderson)

To summarize the usefulness of the teacher-student conference, Knezacek states that “the writing conference also provides an opportunity to assess, teach, and evaluate children’s grammar, punctuation, capitalization, use of vocabulary, phonetics, word endings, connecting words, contractions, compound words, homonyms, etc. Sentence structure and variety, sequencing ideas, self-editing skills, and organization skills can be assessed, taught, and evaluated individually according to a student’s ability (Knezacek).

The sharing of a student’s work is essential for the writing program. This emphasizes to each student that his personal works are important. Mini-lessons are more than appropriate for teaching peer editing and revising. Publishing the finished works is another essential element in the writing process. The teacher should encourage students to begin their final drafts during a conference, and an area of the classroom should be set aside for putting manuscripts together.

The Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) assesses students’ narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. Each of these interests lend themselves to the “Writer’s Workshop” format for teaching purposes.

Extraordinary efforts and emphasis concerning new methods to successfully teach students to write are emerging at this time. Only time will tell if this approach will help students communicate successfully with their writing.

Works Cited

Anderson, Carl. How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring

With Student Writers. Heinemann.

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning.

Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill.

1999.

Calkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing. Heinemann. 1994.

“Information for New Writing Teachers.”

http://www.kiva.net/~bondc/writing/new_teachers.html

Knezacek, Marlys. “Writing Program for Primary Grades,” 1995.

http://www.stf.sk.ca/ps/src/tmc/p11227/p11227.htm

ISBE standards and benchmarks for third grade writing.

Writing Workshop. Springfield School District 186.

http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/resources/languagearts/readingwriting/writerworkshop.htm

Personal experience:

Writer’s Workshop Training, Springfield School District 186, Fall 2000.

Classroom implementation of Writer’s Workshop. 1999-2001.

Back to the Top

************************************************************

Lesson 9 Question 4

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 9 Question 4

Locate a segment of text on the Internet that you find very difficult to read and comprehend. Analyze why it is so difficult. Which strategies did you try to understand it? Which strategies might work better? How might the author have used text signals to assist you? How might the author have used advance organizers to assist you?

The text used is “Genome of the Extremely Radiation-Resistant Bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans Viewed from the Perspective of Comparative Genomics by Makarova, Aravind, et al. from the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, March 2001. According to the Word 2000 tool bar, this text has a Flesch Reading Ease Level of 0.0 and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of Readability at 12.0.

This text is very difficult to comprehend. Although good phonics abilities, years of practice, and practical experience made it possible to pronounce each word correctly, the comprehension of this material was nil.

Bruning states that the schema theory is important in understanding learning from reading. These functions are necessary for comprehension to take place:

· Providing the knowledge base for assimilating new text information

Guiding the ways readers allocate their attention to different parts of reading passages
Allowing readers to make inferences about text material
Facilitating organized and summarizing of content
Permitting the reconstruction of content (Bruning 276)

In the selected passage, a basic knowledge of “microbiology” is non-existent. Therefore, the basic facts that would lead to any signs of recognition in the text failed to be evident. The vocabulary was personally unfamiliar, and the meaning of most of the words was indiscernible with respects to their meaning. The lack of a basic knowledge base also makes inferences in this text almost impossible. Connections to other materials or experiences in life nullified this strategy of comprehension. Contextual clues are also non-existent in this type of text since the article obviously transpired for others more familiar with the subject. Additionally, the article lacks any type of text signals, such as title headings, italics, or outlines. No pictorial representations accompany this article giving the reader clues for comprehension. Strategies such as reading aloud and taking notes would also be useless, since the prior knowledge does not relate.

Research on comprehension by Stephanie Harvey in Strategies That Work suggest that there are several strategies a reader can use depending on the type of text that is to be read for meaning. Her strategies include:

· Making synthesizing concrete--change an abstract idea into something familiar

· Retelling to synthesize information

· Synthesizing while reading expository texts--making margin notes in your own words to synthesize sections of the text. Suggestions include making a two column chart headed, “What’s interesting/ What’s Important

· Making comparisons in science and synthesizing the similarities

· Showing evolving thinking by summarizing the content and adding a personal response

· Reading for the gist--taking notes

· Writing as synthesis: Personalities from the past--try interpreting data in first person

· Synthesizing to access content – make a two column note form headed Content/Process

· Reading like the writer

· Trying to understand: Seeking answers to questions that have none (Harvey Ch. 10).

Other websites offer information in how to read a difficult book. Harcourt Brace suggests that reading the text through superficially (by skimming and scanning) before trying to master the content. After the first attempt, dive in slowly looking for key headings and bold words. The third time through, look at minor details, the footnotes and margins.

Virginia Tech’s Division of Student Affairs agrees with this theory of first reading the book superficially before trying to master the content. They provide some advice for this form of skimming, such as looking at the title page and noting sub-titles to attain the scope of the author’s intent. Look for chapter summaries, and read a paragraph or page looking for main ideas. Adler confirms that the first read through is essential. Then later go back to places passed on the first attempt. “Actually you will be proceeding like any traveler in unknown parts. Having been over the terrain once, you will be able to explore it again from points you could not have known about before. The mental map you have fashioned will show better how the valleys and mountains are all part of one landscape.” (Adler).

The readability of the microbiology article might improve by using text signals as bold-faced words, numerical signals, headings, and previewing and recalling sentences. Advance organizers or general overviews and pictorial clues may have aided this reader. Of course, the key to comprehension is that the reader desires to interpret the text. Without this basic key, comprehension will not take place.

Works Cited

Genome of the Extremely Radiation-Resistant Bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans Viewed from the Perspective of Comparative Genomics. Kira S. Makarova,^1,2 L. Aravind Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, March 2001, p. 44-79, Vol. 65, No. 1.

How to Read a Difficult Book. Mortimer J. Adler, Ph.D.

How to Read a Difficult Book, Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs.

Study Skills: How to Read Difficult Material, Harcourt Brace Technical Writing.

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive

Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill. 1999

Harvey, Stephanie and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That Work, Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Stenhouse Publishers: 2000.

Back to the Top

************************************************************

Lesson 10 Question 1

Ed Psy 399 OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Solve two of the problems below and monitor your cognition as you do so. Discuss the strategies that you used to solve it. In what ways do your strategies compare to those that students use to solve problems in the content area that you teach? It may be helpful to think about some of the poor and some of the good problem solvers that you have taught. Be sure to couch your discussion in a language of psychology. (My answers are at the end of this response.)

A primary goal of teaching is to teach the strategies of problem solving. Students will need to be able to solve problems that they encounter from the basis of their skills at determining solutions to unfamiliar problems, issues, and situations. Teachers are, by nature of their job, problem solvers. Constantly, they must use their background knowledge to diagnose a myriad of problem situations each day. Bruning breaks down the problem solving approach into five sequences of 1) identifying the problem, 2) representing the problem, 3) selecting an appropriate strategy, 4) implementing the strategy, and 5) evaluating solutions. (184)

Perusing the logic problems listed on the Discussion board, immediate means for solving the challenges arose. Step 1, one defines or identifies the problems as having their basis in math. The solution was to skip right to step 4 and ask my husband and daughter, both math majors and lovers of logic problems, for their solutions as answers for me!! I received identical responses immediately from both of them. However, I am a visual learner, so I drew picture representations of the different colored socks. Next, I employed the trial and error method to test the problem and affirm the answer. This was my personal means for finding the solutions.

The second problem’s solution evolved in the same method. I would identify the problem to find the cost of the fishing lure and bait. I would use a visual icon of an addition problem and use the trial and error method to come up with a solution. My loving family told me that answer is determined by solving the very simple algebraic problem of 2x+2=2.50. I vaguely remembered my algebra classes, but suspected that this was true.

The third problem was familiar. I remember the same numbers in a similar situation. Then I remembered that this same situation puzzled Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson in “Die Hard III.” Since I do not store numbers in my short-term memory bank, again I used the same old method of drawing pictures.

Our current math program for 3^rd Grade in Springfield, Illinois is Mimosa. Problem solving emanates from real life situations. Scenarios of going grocery shopping, what television show is next, and finding missing perimeters are all part of this program, which stresses practical applications for using math. This kind of problem solving exercises all of these strategies to become a problem solver.

Word puzzles and problem solving are a personal forte. The cryptic analyses are enjoyable and utilize codes and crossword puzzles to teach vocabulary in various subject areas. If there are only a few minutes of time, we play word games on the board such as Zapped (a form of Hangman.) Logic puzzles encouraging multiple answers summarily challenge students.

Computer games also are another form for encouraging students to apply logic, trial and error, and background knowledge to solve problems. Some of the favorites in 3^rd Grade are Oregon Trail, Odell Lake, and Dinosaur Park. There are thousands of problem solving games on Internet websites. One is Coolmath.com.

Constantly introducing problems calling for specific problem solving techniques of higher level thinking strategies are essential to maintain a high level of their solutions. Teachers cannot expect students to learn this on their own. We can certainly impart expert knowledge, strategies to solve problems, practice time, modeling, and monitoring to teach our students to become better problem solvers.

ANSWERS:

Question 1 – Six black socks, six white ones all mixed. What is the smallest number of socks you can take out of the bag and be sure of a pair of the same color? 3, the first two may be the same color, or they may be one black and one white. So the next one you take out would have to match one of the original ones.

Question 2 – A bass fishing lure and some paint cost a total of $2.50. The lure costs $2 more that the paint. The cost of the lure is $2.25 and the cost of the paint is $0.25. Keep trying until you get one amount that is $2 more than the other or use (x+2.00) + x = 2.50

Question 3 – A camp cook wanted to measure four ounces from a jug of syrup but he only had a 5 oz. and a 3 oz. Bottle.

1. Fill the 3-ounce bottle from the jug and pour it into the 5-ounce bottle.

2. Fill the 3-ounce bottle again from the jug and pour it into the 5-ounce bottle, which already contains 3 ounces. Therefore, 1 ounce remains in the 3-ounce bottle.

3. Empty the 5-ounce bottle.

4. Pour the remaining 1 ounce from the 3-ounce bottle into the 5-ounce bottle.

5. Fill the 3-ounce bottle and pour it into the 5-ounce bottle, which already had the previous 1 ounce.

6. TaDa! 1 ounce plus the 3 ounces adds up to 4 ounces. We have saved the city of New York from an immanent disaster and saved breakfast, all in one solution.

Works Cited

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive

Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill. 1999

Course Documents – Lesson 10 Commentary – by Tom Anderson

http://www.coolmath.com

Personal:

Fairview Elementary School- teaching grades 2-5 from 1972-present.

Al Fulton- husband, electronic engineer.

Theresa Fulton- daughter- 2000 graduate of U of I in Mathematics. Currently employed by Mathemathica/Wolfram in Champaign.

Back to the top

*************************************************

Lesson 11 Question 1

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 11 Question 1 – Why are math story problems so difficult for many students?

Theories as to “why” math story problems are so difficult

Research on this question offered many interesting theories as to why story problems are exceptionally difficult for students. The same as many other veteran teachers, we tended (notice the past tense) to avoid story problems and taught them as directed in the teaching manuals. “Look at the question that the story problem is asking, what information do you have, now figure out if it is asking for addition or subtraction.” The teaching approach stems from the teacher’s personal experience with math story problems, usually negative. This attitude then transfers to a new set of students, ad infinitum.

Richard Lee Colvin, Times Education Writer claims that the United States first noted difficulties teaching math effectively dating back to 1957 when the Russians blasted Sputnik into orbit. After that historical event, educators derived and began teaching the “New Math.” Shortly thereafter came “Back to the Basics” and then “Reform math,” which left students and their parents in abject fear of math. We can compare the great math debates to the same rivalry in Reading, from the phonics approach versus the whole language approach.

The Math Kids Story Problem website reports that story problems are difficult for many reasons. “First and foremost, English is a very slippery language. Not only are there many different words and idioms to say the same thing, but also a single word or word phrase may have several different meanings. Consider how the word "more" can mean two different things. It tells you to "add" when you say, "John had six teddy bears, and he got two more for his birthday. How many teddy bears does he have?" However, it tells you to "subtract" when you say, "Jenna has six pink shirts and two blue shirts. How many more pink shirts does she have?” (Math Kids)

Another site indicates that our problem with math is in the use of syntax. We should not call them math “story problems,” but call them “opportunities” or “challenges.” Better yet, call them “issues”, because “issues” need to be discussed and therefore can be solved. (You’ve Got Problems.)

Bruning’s text indicates that math educators distinguish between the computational and conceptual aspects of math. The general assumption was that basic skills were the foundation upon which conceptual understandings find a foundation. Now, the focus seems to be reversing. Teachers must employ the conceptual-based, hands-on approach to teaching math (Bruning 326.) Some teachers remain steadfast to those techniques for teaching computational math from the frame where they feel most comfortable.

Mahesh Sharma, Head Professor of Education at Cambridge College states that "Math is a bona fide second language." The six linguistic elements of mathematics must be deliberately taught: symbols, concepts, vocabulary, syntax, voice, and translation. If parents do not start early, teaching these concepts, then math will become a foreign language to students. (Newman)

Several websites are devoted to a general math anxiety, which may even lead to dyscalculia. Visual processing, sequencing difficulties, or math phobia might cause the difficulties with story problems. Math phobias are the fear of math due to negative experiences or inconsistent or negative educational experiences (Dyscalculia.) Another obvious reason on the difficulties of story problems is that some student’s reading skills are not adequate to decode and comprehend what the story problem is asking. Sutton surmises that math anxiety for story problems has to do with speed. Students may need more time to think through story problems and become flustered by the need to hurry to obtain the correct answer (Math Anxiety.)

What steps are there to solve math story problems crisis?

The new wave of teaching mathematics is to insure that students understand math concepts. Currently, the Mimosa Math theory utilized by the Springfield Dist. 186 elementary level draws its philosophy from current thinking about the teaching of math. (Is that not wonderful?) It is widely believed that to become good problem solvers, students must develop a strong foundation of mathematical concepts while simultaneously learning a wide range of skills and strategies.

Math lessons should spark wonder and curiosity. Marilyn Burns uses five guiding principles for problem solving experiences:

Children receive something interesting to ponder that requires thinking and reasoning.
Lessons should deal with important mathematics concepts so that children have the opportunity to develop and extend their understanding of math.
Children discuss the problem with the teacher and other students concerning their thinking processes and describe their thoughts in writing.
Children receive physical materials that help make math concepts real, to verify their thinking and assist them to approach math from a concrete rather than an abstract perspective.
Small groups of students work together cooperatively maximizing their opportunities to verbalize their thoughts, clarify ideas, obtain reactions, and listen to others’ points of view.

To be successful in math, conceptually and computationally, students should:

· Interact with each other as well as work independently, just as adults do at their place of employment,

· learn how and when to use manipulatives and technologies.

· become aware of how math applies to real life problems,

· become aware that, as in real life, complex problems require time to solve,

· realize that many problems have more than just one “right” answer,

· students may explain the different ways they reach a variety of solutions and why they choose one over another,

· work in groups to test many solutions to problems,

· learn how to communicate mathematical ideas, and

· work in a physical setting that promotes teamwork and helps kids challenge and defend possible solutions (Math Remediation and Learning Strategies.)

There are many possibilities why math story problems are so difficult for students. The facts though are really quite simple:

Teachers, being apprehensive about story problem themselves, transfer the unfounded concern to their students, and
Before the introduction of story problems and how to solve them through understanding them, students learn or memorize math facts, set procedures, and dictum after dictum.

All in all, the sequence is wrong, and the resultant can be devastating. The light at the end of the tunnel, however, shines on a solution for the solution. In this case, simple logic indicates that there is a chance that we may find our way. Perhaps a story problem would be in order…

Works Cited

Bruning, Roger, et.al. Cognitive Psychology and Instruction Third Edition. 1999.

Burns, Marilyn. A Collection of Math Lessons. Math Solutions: 1987.

Mimosa Math. Growing with Mathematics. 1999.

Colvin, Richard Lee. “Formulas for Math Problems. Los Angeles Times. Jan. 5, 1997.

Math Kids Story Problems.

You’ve Got Problems.

Newman, Renee. “Dyscalculia: Instructional Design and Classroom Technique: K-4.”

Dyscalculia: What it is and what it isn’t.

Sutton, Suzanne. Reducing Math Anxiety.

Math Remediation and Learning Strategies.

Personal Experience:

Teaching math, Grades 2-5, at Fairview Elementary School, 1972-present.

Back to the top

*************************************************

Lesson 11 Question 2

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 11 Question 2: What is a bug in mathematics? What should be done about it?

What it is:

In 1978, math researchers J.S. Brown and Burton proposed a theory of “procedural bugs” to describe students’ errors in carrying out mathematical computations. Their emphasis was that student errors tend not to be random, but rather due to a consistent “bug” in the student’s procedure. Brown and VanLehn attribute the origin of “bugs” to incomplete learning and forgetting: a student leaves out a step altogether, or reaches an impasse and invents a way out. (Connecting Operation Concepts)

Some examples of “buggy” math are the failure to properly “trade.”

8 23 47 52

-3 -16 -35 -17

5 13 12 45

These errors are formed early in the cognitive process when teachers say, “take away from the larger number.” Students then translate this in later experiences and subtract the smaller digits from the larger digits. Brown’s theory may not go deep enough. Hatano’s studies showed that students who understood the “trade principal” tended not to use buggy algorithms on multi-digit subtraction. A profound observation is that early on students learn that there are no such things as negative numbers. One-half of higher mathematics is set aside for the sake of simplifying early arithmetic procedures.

Personal experience with younger students highlights another “bug” in math when students are using number lines or manipulatives to “add-on” or “take-away.” Students who start out on the wrong number will obviously not get the correct answer.

Many more examples of “buggy” math exist in harder concepts as decimal or fractional multipliers, exponents, and algebraic algorithms.

Possible Causes:

“Each fundamental operation of arithmetic generally remains linked to an implicit, unconscious, and primitive intuitive model.” (Fischbein) In addition, we learn that we are “putting together.” Subtraction is “taking away” or “building up.” Multiplication is “repeated addition” and will therefore be bigger. Division is “partitive,” and results from this operation will be smaller. If these concepts are embedded, then there will be difficulty with decimal or fractional multipliers when the answer will be less than the original number. The same dilemma occurs in division when the divisor is not a whole number.

Possible Solutions:

The most obvious solution is to help students focus on understanding the operations of mathematics while they learn procedures. Links to prior knowledge is crucial. Consideration of manipulatives for use in basic operations is essential. Using manipulatives that preserve the “tens” system supports future activities involving “carrying” and “trading” concepts. Well-chosen concrete examples are essential for illustrating operations. Semadeni suggests a “principle of concretization permanence” in which a well-chosen concrete setting illustrates operations in the familiar domain of whole numbers and then the unfamiliar domain. To this author’s comprehensions and observations, the picture of multiplying fractions is much clearer.

Consider boxes of cakes:

3 boxes of 4 cakes is 3x4 or 12 cakes

½ box of 4 cakes is ½ x 4 =2 cakes

If a small box only contains ½ cake, how much is ½ of a small box?

½ box of ½ cake is ½ x ½ = ¼ cake

Teaching procedures or formal justifications or even offering calculators will not address the fundamental issue that students need to extend their models to accommodate new types of numbers and new types of results.

Students need time to reflect on the implications. One final suggestion to avoid “buggy” mathematics; instructors must use associations to common everyday events throughout elementary mathematics courses, including early elementary concepts.

Works Cited

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive

Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill. 1999.

Anderson, Tom. Course Documents. 399OL Spring 2001, Commentary Lesson 11.

EDCI 650 Reacts: Connection Operation Concepts

Nurturing At-Risk Youth in Math and Science: Chapter 6.

Personal Experience:

Fairview Elementary School: Teaching mathematics Grades 2-5, Summer School Grades 6-9, 1972-present.

Back to the Top

*************************************************

Lesson 11 Question 4

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

*Compare the ways that a teacher with a behaviorist leaning and one with a cognitive leaning view errors that students make during learning and testing. Make your discussion relevant to psychological theory and your content area.

“Get messy, jump right in, make mistakes, ask questions, and explore the possibilities.” This is a quote from one of my favorite fictional teacher, Ms. Frizzle. The concepts of all of the Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole are examples of the cognitive perspective. Ms. Frizzle leads her students through science investigations (and soon to be geographic investigations) utilizing the paradigms of the cognitive perspective. Ms. Frizzle views her students’ errors as steps or paths to learning.

Miss Viola Swamp, the world’s worst substitute teacher from Harry Allard’s book Miss Nelson is Missing severely demonstrates the behavioral perspective of teaching. Miss Swamp arrives to teach for Miss Nelson who takes a sabbatical after her students misbehave. Miss Swamp scares them into behaving and loads them down with work. Students in Miss Swamp’s class were afraid to make errors because she would assign them additional work.

Of course, the epitome of the ideal teacher is Miss Frizzle. Her students focus upon learning through understanding and process the information they gain as they “explore the possibilities.” They discover their own resources and employ cooperative learning. Their inherent motivation helps them manage learning altogether, and the teacher is an observer, coach, and facilitator…I COULD BE THAT TOO IF I HAD A MAGIC SCHOOL BUS. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the behaviorist mode most of the time. At the third grade level, the goal is to establish learning skills and set learning foundations. We disseminate information to students and require them to commit meanings of words to memory, memorize facts, and sequentially provide the resources needed to meet the requirements. Students suffer anxiety adjusting to teachers with an alternative perspective about learning. Already, by the 3^rd grade, students demonstrate a marked reluctance to answer questions, since most questions have only one correct answer. Some of this evolves from parents desiring their children to be the next coming of Einstein. Apparently, they are not aware that he failed math as a child.

School districts are implementing curriculums leaning towards the cognitive perspective. The District 186 new math series, Mimosa, is such an example. Students are encouraged to use manipulatives and hands-on materials that will guide them in their own discoveries. Students ideally “apply sophisticated strategies…to real-world problems.” Students must apply divergent thinking to acquire answers and record how they arrive at their conclusions. Since this is challenging, the students (as well as behaviorist teachers) flounder about in an attempt to avoid making any errors. In time, as students become comfortable with the curriculum, they develop confidence with their roles in the cognitive perspective.

In 1995, Springfield School District 186 adapted FOSS, a hands-on approach to science in grades 1-6. This is another example of where teachers can use a cognitive slant to their teaching styles allowing students to experiment and form conclusions. Investigations and collaborative learning exists throughout the curriculum.

Interestingly enough, the classroom use of the computer lends itself to either a behaviorist or a cognitive slant. Using computer programs for repetitive drills and mastery of a certain skill area tends towards behavioristic. Papert, inventor of LOGO, believed that children as learners have a natural curiosity. He desires that children become motivated learners, critical thinkers, and problem-solvers. He influenced these changes in learning by providing tools that motivate students to participate and take ownership of the learning process. Papert’s objectives are becoming reality through computer technology evolving as a tool for cognitive learning. Donald Tapscott believes this is real today with the following shifts of digital media in our classrooms:

· From linear to hypermedia.

· From instruction to construction and discovery.

· From teacher-centered to learner-centered education.

· From absorbing material to learning how to navigate and how to learn.

· From school to life-long learning.

· From one-size-fits-all to customized learning.

· From learning as torture to learning as fun.

· From teacher as transmitter to the teacher as facilitator. (Learning Theories)

Many very serious questions remain. Today in Illinois classrooms, annual testing is transpiring and the very life of each school is determined. The results from the examinations usually have a great impact upon most schools. Again, each question has only one correct answer with the exception to the math explanation segment. The contention of this experienced teacher is the examinations must change before the teaching because the reality is that each teacher’s lesson plans reflects the moods of these examinations. At the outset, all teachers believe that they are the second coming of Miss Frizzle. Not too long thereafter, their eyes observe the reality of the examination process and they ask, “When will the assessment process change from a behavioral to cognitive aspect?” With thirty students to a classroom, one teacher with no aides, and a fifty-year-old blackboard that repels chalk, how will cognitive learning ever evolve?

Works Cited

Allard, Harry and James Marshall. Miss Nelson is Missing! Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985.

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning. Cognitive

Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill. 1999.

Cole, Joanna. Magic School Bus. New York: Scholastic Books, 1989-1999.

Forrester, Darren, and Noel Jantzie. Learning Theories.

FOSS (Full Option Science System). Britannica Science System, 1993.

Hofstetter, Fred. Cognitive vs. Behavioral Psychology.

Mimosa. Growing With Mathematics. Mimosa Education 1999.

Significant Role of Behaviorist Learning Theory.

Thorton, Patrick. Classmate, Edpsy 399OL, Spring 2001. Lesson 11 Question 4.

Personal Experience:

Fairview Elementary School. Teaching 2-5^th Grades, 1972-present.

Back to the Top

*************************************************

Lesson 13 Question 2

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 13 Question 2 * One of the features of Glasser’s strategy is … getting the student to accept responsibility… What does that mean and where does it fit in with his larger scheme?

Every day one hears, “He pushed me, he slammed my finger under a book, etc.” While investigating the circumstance, the response tends to be, “I did not. Her finger was under the book when I put it down.”

Last Friday, we made records of the variety of statements to associating them to Glasser’s strategy for responsibility.

Responsibility is strictly associated with behavior in Glasser’s strategy. He insists that students are accountable for the choices that they make in reference to their behavior. It is just one small spoke in his overall grand scheme of what the classroom should be. According to William Glasser, most people do not understand that we can effectively take control of our own lives. This is most particularly true in the case of ADHD children. Albert Ellis asserts that we can control what we think, and in turn change how we feel and behave (Kendall, 1985).

Since all of the entries for this question on Glasser’s strategy were so positive, it may be appropriate to research the critics of his work. Extensive research proved fruitless, and all sites agreed that responsibility was pretty much the same in their own thoughts. However, most of the “experts” did not tie their strategies strictly with behavior; they attempted to redefine Glasser through their own paraphrasing and associative definitions.

One of the best sites summarized Glasser and was similar to our course documents. In regards to responsibility, Glasser feels that children:

· must learn to adjust in order to make their behavior more productive, and of course, it goes without saying that this is done with guidance from the teacher; and

· learn responsibility through mistakes and making the necessary changes in behavior to correct those mistakes.

Teachers:

· must find ways to guide students to make sound judgments and decisions about the students’ unacceptable behaviors; and

· must clearly establish parameters of acceptable behavior, but do so with input from the student. Glasser’s model will not work without student ownership.

People:

· must learn to admit that their behavior is not acceptable;

· must take the necessary steps to correct that behavior;

· accept the consequences of their actions and not make excuses; and

· understand that they cannot infringe upon the rights of others

Teachers using Glasser’s model should:

· act as thought you believe your students CAN control their behavior;

· keep a positive attitude;

· help students make good choices throughout the day, even in small ways;

· act warm and personable and be willing to get emotionally involved with your students;

· show students that they may choose their behavior, but that they must also live with that choice;

· deal only with specific, current behavior; start each day with a clean slate;

· work out a plan to change a student’s behavior WITH the student; if the student doesn’t agree, the plan isn’t going to work;

· do not listen to or accept excuses from students;

· do not ask WHY;

· be ready to suggest alternatives;

· be fair and consistent, and persistent; and

· be prepared to change or modify rules, if necessary. (16 – Mini lecture- William Glasser)

Janice Gabe, LCSW, MAC, of Indiana instructs teachers and parents concerning Value-Based Parenting. She holds similar views to Glasser’s theory on responsibility. Students must be responsible for their own actions, and must observe the consequences of their actions in a learning experience. If one student hurts another, the student with the inappropriate behavior must make amends to the injured party. One must stress and teach value of empathy towards others. Values not taught at home, must be taught in school. Following this theory, a banner in Fairview Elementary classroom 125 states, “Everybody matters and counts.”

Works Cited

Charles, C. M. Building Classroom Discipline. (1998). Longman, White Plains, New York.

Course Documents – Ed Psy 399OL Lesson 13 Glasser

Gabe, Janice. LCSW, MAC- psychologist, author, speaker. “Kids in Cultures of Change” Springfield, January, 2001.

Neurofeedback: One Instrument in the Orchestra S. Louise Norris, Ph.D.

Rogers, Art. “Roger’s Ramblings on Reading. http://home.earthlink.net/~artrogers/reading/readings.htm#glassr

16 Mini – Lecture – William Glasser

Back to the Top

*************************************************

Lesson 14 Question 3

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

*Locate information on the Internet and from your school district that describes the gang scene in your school, school district, community or city. Determine the names, symbols, garments, gang structure, effect on your school, and/or effect on you. How do you plan to interact with gang “wannabees” or gang members in your school, classroom or laboratory?

Gangs will somehow influence every field of education. Students are aware of the influence of gangs, if not in the classroom, then, at least, in their immediate neighborhoods. The demographics indicate that more than ¼ of 12 year olds, 1/3 of 13 year olds, 40% of 14 year olds, and 43% of 15 year olds reported gang presence in their schools. Recruitment may begin at the third grade level or even earlier, depending upon various reasons, which all point back to profitability. One accepts that gang presence in schools increases with the size of the community, up to 50,000. The highest percentages of student reports of gangs were not in the most populated areas but rather in areas with populations between 100,000 and 249,000. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, August 2000.

Springfield, Illinois is a community of 120,000. Jim Barlow, in a recent school-district survey estimated that there are about 800 gang members in the Springfield Schools. (Haberkorn, Barnett) Gangs have been forming in this area since the 1970’s, and Springfield has become one of the central locations of gang activities between St. Louis and Chicago.

The students in Fairview’s Room 125 described to this teacher many of the facts about the gang scene in the Springfield community. Therefore, this report will reflect the gang influence on the students in this room’s third grade class. Two years ago, Fairview’s Student Assistance Program (SAP) leader enlisted this teacher to assist in solving problem concerning a particular third grade student. The SAP verbalized her concerns about T. W.’s involvement with gang members in his neighborhood since juvenile authorities reported him (yes, in 3^rd grade) carrying drugs for his older brother’s gang.

Last year C. M. came to school with huge bruises on his jaw, swollen lips and blood-shot eyes. Being a mandated reporter, we approached him as to what happened. He denoted that he fell off his bike. Later he bragged in confidence to other students being beat up by certain unspecified gang members. Conclusions following an investigation indicated that he would not do what “gang” members directed, so he was “jumped.” C. M. was eight years of age.

In anticipation of this assignment, I asked three third graders from Fairview of their knowledge about gangs in their neighborhoods. (Wrong question, they indicated no awareness of any gang activities.) Undaunted, however, we continued talking and discussed whether their parents permitted them to ride their bikes in their respective neighborhoods. “Oh No! My mom doesn’t even let me play outside- the neighborhood is so bad.” Another joined in and soon they were identifying the gang and drug problems in their blocks. Querying them about what gangs they were aware, the student who had not said anything identified the “GD’s” (Gangster Disciples) and the West-Siders. Although they personally were untouched by any recruitment efforts or activities, they indicated that they knew cousins and friends who were. A student in another third grade class received suspension last week for drawing and displaying gang symbols at school. Fairview Elementary has a “no bandana” policy concerning specific headdresses.

There is no single accepted definition of a youth gang. However, a youth gang is commonly thought of as a self-formed association of peers having the following characteristics: a gang name and recognizable symbols, identifiable leadership, a geographic territory, a regular meeting pattern, and collective actions to carry out illegal activities. (Howell) Dan Dawson, Prevention Educator, U of I Cooperation Extension Service described many of the same criteria for gang membership. Gang membership may come from the altered adolescent phases of development:

1. Separating from the family – peers replace parents. The peer group is a refuge providing warmth, approval, friendship and fun. However, gangs may lead toward dangerous and illegal activities.

2. Forging a healthy identity – teens have much self-consciousness and self doubt. The gang’s identity helps one to belong.

3. Preparing for the future – youths that are unsure of goals will turn to the gang for direction.

4. Forging a moral value system- this realigns to meet the needs of the gang.

Some youths are more likely to become involved in gangs that others. Some “risk factors” include:

· anti-social behavior,

· alienation from family,

· few interests,

· low self-esteem,

· involvement with anti-social behavior,

· limited success in school,

· chemical use and abuse,

· poor peer relationships,

· and favorable attitudes toward gangs.

Younger students may be gang “wanna-be’s.” A wanna-be is a youth who views the gang as an exciting place to be, that is, a place to be somebody. Wanna-be’s may emulate gang dress, graffiti, hand signs, and other gang cultural symbols, even though they are not yet initiated. (Gangs 101)

Gang activity affects all students, even the youngest. Early interventions to dispel the influence are essential. Classroom discussions about gangs are an excellent means to start to convey the proper message to students. Discussions can be real learning experiences, for not only the students, but also educators and parents alike. Knowledge of how to identify gangs, gang signs, and gang activities can be valuable tools. Gary Burnett offers eight effective interactions for combating school gangs:

Target students vulnerable to gang recruitment for special assistance, particularly using peer counselors and support groups. Mentoring, conflict resolution programs, and tutoring can be particularly effective.
Establish moral and ethical education, value clarification, and conflict resolution as important components of the school curriculum.
Create an inviting school climate where every student feels valued.
Educate all school staff, including support staff, about how gangs develop and how to respond to them.
Offer special programs for parents about gangs and how to deal with them. Present information in a culturally sensitive way, and in a variety of languages, to reflect the diversity of the community.
Monitor youths not enrolled in school but "hang out" on or near school property. This can help school officials assess the existence of gangs in the neighborhood, and anticipate and prevent their formation in the school.
Offer educational programs for students about gangs, their destructiveness, and how to avoid being drawn into them, preferably in small groups where they can express their feelings comfortably.
Provide regular opportunities for students individually and/or in small groups to discuss their experiences in school and make plans that offer hope and personal rewards. (Gangs in Schools)

Educators need to be aware of gang activities in their community, their schools, their families, and their students. Even at early elementary levels, steps that guide students to make the right decisions about not participating in gangs are essential.

Works Cited

Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline Sixth Edition. New York: Longman. 1999. Chapter 7.

Dawson, Dan. Prevention Educator, University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, Springfield, Extension Center. “Gangs101- What are the Risk Factors?” Handout Material.

Burnett, Gary, Gangs in Schools. Eric Clearinghouse on Urban Education Digest.

Walker, Robert. Gang Consultant. Parents and Teachers.

Juvenile Justice Bulletin – August 2000 – Youth Gangs in Schools.

Howell, James C. Youth Gangs.

Barlow, Jim. "Partnership Illinois: Former Gang Member Works With Violence-Prevention Program in Springfield", March 1, 1996.

Ed Psy 399OL Classmates- Sara Barnett and Jennifer Haberkorn.

Personal Experiences:

Fairview Elementary School. Teaching 3^rd grade.

Conversations with SAP leader, colleagues, students, T.W., C.M, and students from current class 2000-2001.

Back to the Top

*************************************************

Lesson 14 Question 6

Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001

Dianne Fulton

Tom Anderson – Instructor

Lesson 14 Question 6: Research and describe the mediation process. Us my paper and information from other websites as a starting point. Write about the following issues and others of your choice: Are mediation and negotiation skills important life skills, or are they just reasonable ways to talk about a conflict? Or are they, perhaps, something else to you? Do they have any political, spiritual, and/or philosophical overtones? Describe them. Should all students and faculty be required to master them? If so, how should they master them?

“Conflict is a normal, natural part of everyday life.” (Trevaskis)

“When we grew up, there was only one TV, so we had to learn to negotiate, compromise, communicate, and share. In today’s society, children do not have to negotiate, they simply go to another TV; or overworked, busy parents, let them have their way out of guilt.” (Janice Gabe) Mediation and negotiation skills are important in today’s world of cooperative learning, group projects, and employment. If these skills do not receive indoctrination at home, then we must to add them to the growing list of skills learned at school regardless of how appropriate it might be. Mediation is one form of conflict management that involves a neutral third person who assists in resolving problems. (Trevaskis) Tom Anderson’s course documents reflect that teachers are typically not good agents for helping students untangle their intra-personal conflicts. Even though teachers may be good diagnosticians of the causes of these conflicts, teachers may be too involved with the general flow of classroom activities to be able to devote the necessary time to solve the conflicts. Additionally, adequate training for teachers in this area is decidedly lacking. Teachers become obliged to provide many more services than the full time task of imparting knowledge to their charges. However, some research indicates that schools should be teaching conflict management skills, also. The jury is still out on this concern.

Training students to manage conflicts can begin in elementary school. Antiviolence efforts focus on measures that prevent all types of children’s misbehavior and aberrant conduct is appropriate in any classroom in the form of a class meeting. Programs such as “Second Step,” produced by the Committee for Children, received introduction in Springfield Dist. 186 during the 90’s. This program consists of posters and teaching guides designed to lead students through discussions of identifying problem situations/conflicts and how best to deal with them. We piloted a program to develop self-esteem and Decision-Making Skills in a third grade classroom entitled, “Feelings Like Yours” by Zaner-Bloser. The philosophy behind the program was to “view that building self-esteem and improving reflective decision-making skills can forestall serious and costly problems for individuals and for society, has recently taken on increasing appeal. Because of this, attention refocuses to social institutions; namely the home and school. With the dramatic changes in American families over the past two decades, schools now offer some advantages in terms of logistics and accessibility that homes cannot (provide). Therefore, there is a considerable interest in having schools assume greater responsibility for teaching self-esteem, and interpersonal and decision making skills.” Other programs similar to these presented in the elementary schools of District 186 are: BrainPower, and The Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS). (Schwartz)

Peer mediation teams exist in the schools intending to solve intra-personal conflicts. Trevaskis states that peer mediation teams have a success rate of 58-93% in solving the conflict that comes before peer mediation. One high school (Lanphier) in Springfield School District 186 had a peer mediation team for the last nine years. Cindy Luton, faculty advisor of this team, outlined how a very diverse group of students applied to be peer mediators for a faculty advisory team’s selection. There can be as many as 24 team mediators working in teams of eight. Training occurs during a two-day session (Friday and Saturday). Students with conflicts may ask to meet with a trained mediation team or receive advice to employ this option by the administration. Students schedule times to meet with the team and present their conflicts. The Lanphier team mediates 30 conflicts a semester. Ms. Luton strongly believes in this program and concludes that the most positive benefits come from the reflections of the peer mediators. Their self-assurance, ability to ask the right questions, and make decisions are beneficial to them in future settings.

The philosophy of Conflict Solvers evolves from the value and belief that conflict may be positive. It signals the need for change and offers an opportunity to learn about others and ourselves. The subjects receive encouragement for direct and peaceful expression of the conflict. There is a strong belief that resolutions arrive voluntarily from the disputants in conflict with the guidance of a neutral third party. One of the most powerful reasons to use peer mediation is that peers trust each other; authority figures are not existent at the resolution. The mediation process shows positive role modeling (Conflictsolvers.) Research shows that peer mediation can be successful in elementary schools as well as in middle and high school.

Teachers as well as students benefit from learning about mediation techniques. One cannot help but remember the many anecdotes of conflict resolution brought to us by “Dick and Jane.” Reading series today bypass much of the wholesome values that the more traditional series presented as a matter of fact. I hope that we are getting away from “boss teachers” and are orienting ourselves to become “lead teachers.” Learning mediation skills instills teamwork and models acceptable behavior.

Works Cited

Anderson, Tom. “A Treatise on Conflict in the Classroom”. 1999. Course Documents. Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001.

Gabe, Janice LCSW, MAC. New Perspectives of Indiana. Lectures in Springfield, IL on Value-Based Parenting, Kids in Cultures of Change.

Informational website: http://www.newperspectives-indy.com

Kreig, Fred, et al. Feelings Like Yours. A Program to Develop Self-Esteem and Decision-Making Skills. Zaner-Bloser, 1991.

Committee for Children. Second Step, a Violence Prevention Curriculum. 1991.

“Peer Mediation in Schools, Primary & Secondary.”

http://www.conflictsolvers.com.au/spmpsars.HTML

Schwartz, Wendy. “Preventing Violence by Elementary School Children.”

http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/digests/dig149.html

Trevaskis, David. “Mediation in the Schools, ERIC Digest.

http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed378108.html

Phone Interview 4/10/01 with Cindy Luton, Peer Mediation Faculty Advisor, 1993-2001, Lanphier High School, School District 186, Springfield, IL.

Personal Experience:

Teaching “Feeling Like Yours, “Second Step” to 2-4^th Grades, Fairview Elementary School. 1994-1998. SAP (Student Assistance Program) Leader for “Anger Management Group”, “Divorce Group”, and “Chemical Dependence Group.”

Back to the top

*************************************************

Works Cited for all Assignments

Allard, Harry and James Marshall. Miss Nelson is Missing! Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985.

Anderson, Carl. How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring

With Student Writers. Heinemann.

Anderson, Tom. Course Documents. 399OL Spring 2001, Commentary Lesson 11.

Anderson, Tom. “A Treatise on Conflict in the Classroom”. 1999. Course Documents. Ed Psy 399OL – Spring 2001.

Berk, Laura E. Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Second Edition. Boston:

Bacon. 1996.

Bruning, Roger H., Gregory J. Schraw, and Royce R. Ronning.

Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. New Jersey: Merrill.

1999.

Burns, Marilyn. A Collection of Math Lessons. Math Solutions: 1987.

Calkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing. Heinemann. 1994.

Canter, Lee and Canter, Marlene. (1985). Assertive Discipline for Parents. Toronto:

Harper & Row.

Charles, C.M. (1999). Building Classroom Discipline. New York: Addison Wesley

Longman.

Cole, Joanna. Magic School Bus. New York: Scholastic Books, 1989-1999.

Commentary: Lesson 2 Assertive Discipline

Committee for Children. Second Step, a Violence Prevention Curriculum.

1991.

Course Documents – Lesson 10 Commentary – by Tom Anderson

Evertson, Carolyn, Emmer, E., Clements, B., Sanford, J., Worsham, M. (1988).

Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers. Engelwood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Dawson, Dan. Prevention Educator, University of Illinois Cooperative

Extension Service, Springfield, Extension Center. “Gangs101- What are the Risk Factors?” Handout Material.

FOSS (Full Option Science System). Britannica Science System, 1993.

Harvey, Stephanie and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That Work, Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Stenhouse Publishers: 2000.

Kreig, Fred, et al. Feelings Like Yours. A Program to Develop Self-Esteem

and Decision-Making Skills. Zaner-Bloser, 1991.

Mimosa. Growing With Mathematics. Mimosa Education 1999.

CD’s and Websites

Academy of Pediatrics Corporal Punishment in Schools (RE9754). Volume

106, Number 02. August 2000, p. 343.

alcorenv Corporal Punishment in Schools. A Policy Statement by the American

Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, June 1988.

Anderson, Tom. Power Point Presentation. “Introduction to Cognitive

Psychology, Information Processing and Memory. 1999. CTER CD-Rom.

Barlow, Jim. "Partnership Illinois: Former Gang Member Works With Violence-Prevention Program in Springfield", March 1, 1996.

Behaviorism as a Learning Theory, course documents

Burnett, Gary, Gangs in Schools. Eric Clearinghouse on Urban Education Digest.

Chun, Dorothy M. “Research on Text Comprehension in Multimedia

Environments.

Churchward, Budd. Techniques for Better Classroom Discipline.

Colvin, Richard Lee. “Formulas for Math Problems. Los Angeles Times. Jan. 5, 1997.

Course Documents. Commentary on Kounin:

Course Documents. http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html

Course Documents – Ed Psy 399OL Lesson 13 Glasser

Curtis, Jenny. “Phonics verses Whole Language. Which is Better?”

http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/features/reading/phonics.shtml

Dyscalculia: What it is and what it isn’t.

EDCI 650 Reacts: Connection Operation Concepts

Forrester, Darren, and Noel Jantzie. Learning Theories.

Genome of the Extremely Radiation-Resistant Bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans Viewed from the Perspective of Comparative Genomics. Kira S.

Makarova,^1,2 L. Aravind Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, March 2001, p. 44-79, Vol. 65, No. 1.

Guardian Corporal Punishment Should be Abolished in Schools. 12-14-99.

Goodhead, Jared. “The Difference Between Short-Term and Long-Term Memory. 1999.

Hofstetter, Fred. Cognitive vs. Behavioral Psychology.

Howell, James C. Youth Gangs.

How to Read a Difficult Book. Mortimer J. Adler, Ph.D.

How to Read a Difficult Book, Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs.

http://www.coolmath.com

http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/fallacy.html How memory works.

http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/memhints.html Hints on Memory Techniques

http://www.demon.co.uk/mindtool/mneffmeffc.html Using Mnemonics to Learn More Effectively

http://www.drlaura.com/main/ Comments on APA were heard last year on her radio broadcast

http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/discip-options.html

“Information for New Writing Teachers.”

http://www.kiva.net/~bondc/writing/new_teachers.html

Huitt, W. and J. Hummel. The Behavioral System, May, 1998

ISBE standards and benchmarks for third grade writing.

Juvenile Justice Bulletin – August 2000 – Youth Gangs in Schools.

KNEA. Tips for Teachers.

Knezacek, Marlys. “Writing Program for Primary Grades,” 1995.

http://www.stf.sk.ca/ps/src/tmc/p11227/p11227.htm

Lally, Kathy and Debbie M. Price.

http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~jmatthew/dyslex2.htm

MacDonald, Rita. “Understanding How You Learn.” 1993.

Math Kids Story Problems.

Math Remediation and Learning Strategies.

Neurofeedback: One Instrument in the Orchestra S. Louise Norris, Ph.D.

Newman, Renee. “Dyscalculia: Instructional Design and Classroom Technique: K-4.”

Nurturing At-Risk Youth in Math and Science: Chapter 6.

“Peer Mediation in Schools, Primary & Secondary.”

http://www.conflictsolvers.com.au/spmpsars.HTML

Religious Tolerance Organization The Case Against Corporal Punishment.

Rogers, Art. “Roger’s Ramblings on Reading.

http://home.earthlink.net/~artrogers/reading/readings.htm#glassr

Schoolwide and Classroom Discipline. Kathryn Cotton.

http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html

Schwartz, Wendy. “Preventing Violence by Elementary School Children.”

http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/digests/dig149.html

Significant Role of Behaviorist Learning Theory.

16 Mini – Lecture – William Glasser

Study Skills: How to Read Difficult Material, Harcourt Brace Technical Writing.

Sutton, Suzanne. Reducing Math Anxiety.

Trevaskis, David. “Mediation in the Schools, ERIC Digest.

http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed378108.html

U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 1998 Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Reports Our Ten Worst States.

Walker, Robert. Gang Consultant. Parents and Teachers.

Writing Workshop. Springfield School District 186.

http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/resources/languagearts/readingwriting/writerworkshop.html

Your Document- Electronic Library. Using computer technology to monitor

student progress and remediate reading problems.

http://www.edu.uleth.ca/ciccte/gradpro.pgs/CompTechPage/Tech&Reading.html

You’ve Got Problems.

Classmates Ed Psy 399OL- Spring 2001

Colleagues – Spring 2001, Edpsy 399OL. Adkins, Haberkorn, Leggett.

Classmates: Barnett, Treiger, et.al, Edpsy390OL Spring, 2001

Ed Psy 399OL Classmates- Sara Barnett and Jennifer Haberkorn.

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/sbarnett/edpsy399/assertivediscipline.html

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/mickley/edpsy33/lesson2q2.htm

http://course.info.cet.uiuc.edu/courses/1/EDPSY399OL_SP01/_1/lesson2.html

J. Haberkorn, Question 7-2, Spring 2001, Edpsy399 OL.

Thorton, Patrick. Classmate, Edpsy 399OL, Spring 2001. Lesson 11 Question 4.

Personal Experiences

Al Fulton- husband, electronic engineer.

Conversations with SAP leader, colleagues, students, T.W., C.M, and students from current class 2000-2001.

Discussion with sister, January 18, 2001.

Discussions with colleagues, February 2001, at Fairview School.

Discussions with family members, February 2001.

Fairview Elementary School, Springfield, Illinois. 6^th grade. 1960.

Fairview Elementary School, Springfield, Illinois. 1972-Present. Teacher of grades

2-5, regular, self-contained, and gifted.

Fairview Elementary School: Teaching mathematics Grades 2-5, Summer School Grades 6-9, 1972-present.

Gabe, Janice LCSW, MAC, lecture presentation, “Kids in Cultures of Change.” 1-11-01.

Gabe, Janice LCSW, MAC. New Perspectives of Indiana. Lectures in Springfield, IL on Value-Based Parenting, Kids in Cultures of Change.

Informational website: http://www.newperspectives-indy.com

Phone Interview 4/10/01 with Cindy Luton, Peer Mediation Faculty Advisor, 1993-2001, Lanphier High School, School District 186, Springfield, IL.

Theresa Fulton- daughter- 2000 graduate of U of I in Mathematics. Currently employed by Mathemathica/Wolfram in Champaign.

Writer’s Workshop Training, Springfield School District 186, Fall 2000.

Back to the top