|
J. Muffy Pacey Tom Anderson, Instructor |
|
Paper 1 | Paper 2 | Paper 3 | Paper 4 | Paper 5 | Paper 6 | Paper 7 | Paper 8 Paper 9 | Paper 10 | Paper 11 | Paper 12 | Paper 13 | Paper 14 | Paper 15 | Paper 16 | Paper 17 Final Project Paper | Final Project PowerPoint | Click here to download Powerpoint Viewer Reference Page Back to My Homepage |
|
"Many teachers at all levels use "contracts," wherein individual students agree to behave in certain ways or complete specified work. Have you seen contracts used in this way? What does the literature/theories suggest about their strengths? What are their shortcomings? What do you think?" Although I have never used a contract to help students modify behavior in the classroom, I have seen other teachers use this method. As the computer teacher, my class has often been included in contracts and I have been asked to report about the student's behavior during computer class. Age groups have varied anywhere from 1st to 8th grades. Generally speaking, the contracts are written with the design that if the students behave correctly, at the end of their contract, they will receive some type of reward. The duration of the contract differs from child to child. I have seen contracts for the morning, the afternoon, the entire day, and the entire week (Pacey, 1997-2001). Contracts definitely have their time and place in the classroom. The classroom may have one set of rules for everyone, however, this does not mean that set of rules will apply to each student. All students are different and have different needs. In talking with teachers that have used contracts in their classrooms, contracts work best with the more difficult students or students with the most severe behavior problems. Contacts can be beneficial because they often require the signature of the student, a parent or guardian, as well as the teacher. By having the student sign the contract, they are fully aware of the expectations and rewards for their actions. (Charles, 1999, p. 75) Students are also taking responsibility for their own actions or ownership of their behavior. Contracts can also be a great way to track behavior over a period of time. Contracts can show behavior patterns and provide evidence for teachers to show to parents or special needs evaluators (Pacey, Indianapolis, 1997-1999). Involving the parents in a contract situation also has many benefits. It is important to keep parents aware of student behavior in the classroom, especially when students are difficult to manage. This way, parents might be able to offer suggestions to help the teacher handle the situation better or realistic expectations. Some parents might also want to be included on the reward end of the contract. I have seen some parents reinforce the contract by providing occasional rewards at home (Kniola, Indianapolis, 1997) Generally speaking, contracts can benefit the teacher and classroom setting. However, I have also seen contracts go awry. The most common shortcoming has been when a teacher jumps into a contract without thinking of realistic goals. Some students cannot wait a full week before collecting a reward. If the goal is unattainable, students lose interest in the reward and the contract has no effect. Contracts are best used with children that are difficult to manage as opposed to the entire classroom or even large groups of students. I have personally seen a contract that was most effective with an individual student. In my school building, Mrs. McNish used a contract to help modify a student's behavior. The student is an extremely intelligent girl who has difficulties socializing with students and teachers. Her difficulties socializing included being mean to other students, rolling her eyes, mouthing off, and being defiant towards adults and teachers in the school building. Mrs. McNish tried discussing the inappropriate behavior with the student, but the student simply wanted to debate every issue to no avail. Mrs. McNish was also in contact with the studentís parents about the situation. The attempts were not helping the student to make any progress, so a behavior contract was implemented. The contract was implemented in Mrs. McNish's classroom as well as all of the specials classes the student attended (Art, PE, Computers, etc.). Part of the contract was that the student had to carry a behavior sheet to be signed by all teachers who had contact with the student during the course of the day. The paper stated that the student was helpful and respectful towards others during class. The teacher had to check yes or no and required a signature. The consequence was that if the student failed to be helpful and respectful towards others, the student would not be allowed to sit at the lunch table with her favorite friends the next day. Her parents were fully aware of the contract and expected to see the contract papers at the end of each school day. The consequence was one her parents fully supported and reinforced at home. The student had the contract for 2-3 weeks and we saw a drastic improvement. Simply having to have a teacher sign off on her behavior was quite a motivation to improve her attitude. She also valued the time she spent with her friends at lunch and worked hard to be able to sit with them on a daily basis. It is now no longer necessary to implement a contract for this student. However, she knows that the contract can be brought back if poor behavior and attitude returns. (McNish & Pacey, Wilmette, 2000-2001) From what I have seen as a teacher, when contracts are used under the right circumstances, they can be quite beneficial. Contracts can provide options for those students that test our levels of patience as educators. In most cases, I have seen nothing but success where contracts have been used as a method of behavior modification. References: Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York. Pacey, M., Teacher:
McNish, P., Teacher, Wilmette Public School District. Kniola, K., Cooperating Teacher during Student Teaching in 1997, MSD Pike Township:Indianapolis, IN.
Lesson 1, Question 3 "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 (or previously neutral stimulus) and CR for your audience." Finding a fear whose primary basis was developed from classical conditioning was not an easy task. I could not immediately think of any fear or phobia that I have in general. I was forced to do some investigating which required a few phone calls to family members. When I spoke with my sister, she promptly reminded me that I have a grave dislike of bats, which would sometimes occupy our summer cabin. While this phobia and dislike is quite real to me in present day, I do not always remember having such a fear. So, my next inquiry went to my parents who were witness to the classical conditioning. Because I can't remember a time where I wasn't afraid of bats, I had a difficult time determining the unconditional response to the unconditional stimulus of seeing a bat during early childhood. Upon talking with my mother, she replied that I never really responded to the bats at a young age. I would simply watch my parents, as they would attempt to remove the bat from our cottage. So, my unconditioned response to seeing a bat was really the act of indifference. At a young age, I simply accepted bats as part of living in our cottage. However, this unconditional stimulus of seeing a bat soon became my conditional stimulus with a very conditioned response. My mother and I then began to discuss the roots of my bat phobia. "All complex forms of behavior, including reasoning, habit, and emotional reactions are composed of simple stimulus-response events which can be measured."(Behaviorism As a Learning Theory) Due to the fact that I have two significantly older sisters, older by 5 and 8 years, in childhood as a younger sibling, I would often mimic their behavior. This can be related to social learning, the learning through observing and modeling. (Huitt & Hummel, May 1998) At the first site of a bat, I can vividly remember my two older sisters running around the cabin, screaming, and chasing the bat with a tennis racket in their hands. I would watch their actions and think if theyíre scared, I should be scared too. I can easily relate the development of this fear to what was said by Huitt & Hummel in The Behavioral System, "learning can be defined as the relatively permanent change in behavior brought about as a result of experience or practice."(Huitt & Hummel, May 1998) Upon viewing this dramatic reaction of my older siblings, in time, I too began to run away from the bats and scream if they came close. My conditioned response to seeing the bat soon mimicked the behavior of my sisters. I also became a drama queen whenever a bat entered our cottage. Over the course of the summer, we might have several bat sightings. On each occasion my sisters' behavior would repeat if not escalate in a dramatic response to a bat. In Edwin R. Gutherie's law of association a combination of stimuli which has accompanied a movement, in this case the bat and my sisterís dramatic reactions, will on its recurrence tend to be followed by that movement. At some point, in addition to all the chaos I previously described, my sisters insisted that they wear a hat if there was a bat in the house. They testify that "someone" told them that bats would seek out their heads and hair. In seeing this repeated response to bats, as in Pavlov's experiments, I most likely developed my phobia of bats. My natural or voluntary response to the bats as a young child was indifference. As stated in Behaviorism As A Learning Theory, "behavior is a product of the Stimulus-Response interaction and that behaviors are modifiable." Upon viewing my two older sister's response to seeing a bat, I developed a fear or phobia that has followed me into adulthood. Although I no longer need to run and scream when I see a bat, I still have a serious dislike for the creature. In my adult life, I have been known to leave our cottage to "visit" neighbors during bat sightings, at least until it is safe to return. References: Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York. Behaviorism As A Learning Theory, http://129.7.160.115/inst5931/Behaviorism.html Huitt, W. and Hummel, J., The Behavioral System, May, 1998, http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/behsys/behsys.html
Lesson 2, Question 2 "Given below is an email correspondence between me and Prof. Carolyn Evertson at Vanderbilt University. She and some colleges have authored a very nice book on classroom management. I sometimes use that book when I teach EdPys 316 on campus. What is your reaction to my inquiry about the exclusion of assertive discipline from her textbook?" My initial thoughts to the email between Tom Anderson and Carolyn Evertson are of a mixed review. After reading chapter 4 from Building Classroom Discipline (Charles, 1999) about the Canter's Assertive Discipline, I can see why this method of classroom discipline would work for many teachers and administrators. In this method, the Canter's state that "Teachers have a right to teach without disruption and students have a right to learn in a safe, calm environment, with full teacher support. This goal is best accomplished when in-charge teachers do not violate the student's best interests, but also invoke positive and negative consequences calmly and fairly." (Charles, 1999, p. 82) However, I could also see the arguments Dr. Evertson was making in her email response against assertive discipline. After going through both texts and beginning to write down some thoughts, my personal beliefs and reactions tend to agree more with the Canter's view of classroom management. In Canter's plan, teachers instate a discipline plan with rules and consequences. Students are fully aware of the teacher's expectations and consequences if they do not follow the rules. In this method, students are more responsible for their own behavior. Assertive discipline requires teachers to model "the kind of trust and respect for students that they want students to show towards others."(Charles, 1999, p. 84) It also includes positive rewards and repetitions when students present good behavior. Negative consequences are to be used only when all else fails and should never be physically or psychologically harmful. (Charles, 1999, p.84) I can see positive aspects of Canter's model. The expectations and consequences are clearly stated to all students. Students are aware that if they choose to break a rule, consequences will follow. The Canters stated many times that consequences should never be harmful to the child. A huge role for the teacher in this model is to stay calm in all situations, act fairly, and be consistent. Teachers are also encouraged to get to know the students, send home positive notes or letters, praise the studentís good behavior, and redirect some behaviors in lieu of unnecessary punishment. The Canter's have also acknowledged, "that you can't ëcureí or change these students, but you can create an environment that will help (them) achieve." (Charles, 1999, p. 95) In Dr. Evertson's email to Tom Anderson, she raises issues of ethical treatment. However, in Canter's model, teachers should openly share the rules and expectations, as well as the consequences for behavior in the classroom with parents. The Canters also go as far as suggesting that teachers send a copy of the class discipline plan home for parents to review. "Parents should then sign and return a slip indicating their approval and support."(Charles, 1999, p. 101) Dr. Evertson also refers to Emmer and Aussiker when they say, "there is not much evidence that AD training results in improved student behavior." (Evertson email) The positive feedback from teachers and administrators who have implemented this model, to me, would appear as evidence. In schools, some type of classroom management plan needs to be in place. Daily routines and expectations for behavior have to be stated to children and parents for a safe learning environment. Canterís model can be a fair, consistent, and safe method for classroom management. References: Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York. Carolyn Evertson's email response to Tom Anderson
Lesson 3, Question 1 "What are some ways that you use punishment to control the actions of students? Are those ways effective? Are there other alternatives?" I am currently the technology teacher for 1-4th grades in my school building. In the computer lab, we have certain equipment, which some children can't resist the temptation to play with incorrectly. The most frequent troubles I see are with the headphones and the computer chairs. The chairs are on wheels and can be adjusted by the user for height. After my students complete their daily assignments, they may have as much as 5-10 minutes of free time. In this free time, they are allowed to play games such as KidPix, Oregon Trail, Coin Critters, Amazon Trail, or other educational software of this nature. Many of these applications have various sounds or noises. We provide headphones for each computer so those students do not disturb other students who are still working on their assignment. However, some of my students cannot resist sharing the sounds in their game with the pupil sitting next to them. On many occasions, I have found students sitting in their chairs with the headphones on their heads, but not plugged in to their computer. Generally, I can give "the look" (Charles, 1999, p. 93) and tell the student to plug the headphones in and that's the last we hear from their computer. But, I have had some repeat offenders. In this case, I have muted their computer and taken the headphones away for the rest of that day's computer time. Because I have already issued a warning, I feel this punishment in more than fair. Especially since we discuss wearing the headphones on the very first day of computer class and reinforce this rule during the first few weeks of school. I also talk individually with the child after class about why not wearing the headphones might be distracting to other students. I have found this to be extremely effective in my battle with headphones. I have never had to repeat this punishment with a student. My other major battle in the lab is the computer chairs. I have had several students lower and raise their chair height in repeated succession during class, not because they are attempting to adjust the height but just because they can. Most often, this is a battle with the 4th grade students. For whatever reason, the lower grades have not yet figured out how to change the height of the chair. They just accept the chair, as it is when they arrive. When this does occur with my 4th grade, again, I will generally try warning the student that this behavior is distracting to others. However, most often it is distracting in the form of, "Hey, how'd you do that?" If I see that this might be the trend, I will skip the warning and immediately replace the computer chair with a regular chair that does not have wheels or height adjustment capabilities. Since the chair is a much bigger object than a simple pair of headphones, I have only had to do this one time per class. The students then know that if they play with the chair, they will have to sit on something else. Because both of these methods have been successful in
eliciting the correct behavior, I have not yet attempted any
alternatives. However, in the first weeks of school, we go
over the computer lab procedures and proper use of the
equipment, including headphones and chairs. We review these
procedures and practice the correct way to use them. As far
as I can tell, when the students do not follow these
procedures, they aren't even thinking or using their heads.
It is what I like to call a momentary lapse in judgment.
Generally, a reminder will fix the problem. But, I think
it's always good to have plan B ready just incase the
reminder is fruitless. References: Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York.
Lesson 4, Question 3 "Critics of Jones's incentive systems do not like the idea of "bribing" students to work and behave in prescribed ways. This complaint is made about behavior modification, as well. Would you consider using incentives (PAT's), as he suggests? Why or why not? How are incentives similar to/different from bribes? And positive reinforcers?" When discussing the use of incentives in the classroom, I think describing it as a bribe is a little harsh. I've known many teachers that provide rewards for their students, and upon self-examination, I would even venture to say that in some ways my own classroom is set up for students to receive rewards for good behavior. However, I can also see why many outsiders might see these incentives as a bribe. In my computer lab, the students arrive each day knowing that we will be working on some type of assignment or project. Generally speaking, most students finish the assignment with anywhere from 5-10 minutes left in our class time. If the assignment is completed and has been checked out by my aide or myself, then students may then have free choice for the remainder of the class. In that time, students play some of the software we have on the computer including Oregon Trail, Coin Critters, Clock Shop, and KidPix. They are all applications I refer to as "Edu-tainment", or computer games that have some type of educational background. Students know that if an assignment is not completed correctly, then they will have to use free time to go back and make corrections or complete unfinished work. This classroom set up can be compared to Jone's preferred activity time or PAT. PAT being time allotted for student incentive activities. (Charles, 1999, p.114) In my eyes, this is different from a bribe because students are aware that sloppy and rushed work is not acceptable. A number of students need all the computer class time to understand and complete some of the daily assignments. Free choice allows students to explore the computer at their own pace and in their own area of interest. Many students will say to me during free choice, "Wow, Miss Pacey, did you know the computer can do this!" PAT time is both fun and holds educational value. (Charles, 1999, p. 114) Many people might argue that I don't plan enough in my lessons if there is time left over. While I see this argument, at the end of a class period there are still children in the lab working on the assignment until their teacher picks them up. If I were to lengthen assignments so that everyone would be working until the end of the class period, there would be students that would never finish an assignment. Because I teach in an elementary computer lab, assigning unfinished assignments as homework is not yet appropriate. Students do not receive a grade for my class and working with families over cross platforms could prove to be a huge problem. However, I can see why many people might see incentives as a bribe, or when something serves to influence choices. In many ways our society sets the tone for this frame of mind. How big a house someone owns, how many cars they drive, how many vacations they take each year often determines a personís success. Outsiders may see a teacher offering free choice time, stickers, or snacks as a bribe. As a teacher, these incentives provide opportunities for all students to be successful. References: Pacey, M., Teacher, Wilmette Public School District 2000-2001; Wilmette, IL. Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York.
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." After reading the chapters on Kounin, the role of an orchestra conductor did not immediately come to my mind as a metaphor for the model. After reading the required question, I actually had to go back through the chapters to see if I could find the similarities. However, after reevaluating the material, Kouninís model can be compared to that of an orchestra conductor. Many of the adjectives used to describe his model are similar to those I would use for an orchestra conductor. One of the first traits Kounin describes as necessary for the classroom teacher was withitness. Withitness is the ability to know what is going on in all areas of the classroom. (Charles, 1999, p. 37) It would be impossible for an orchestra conductor to successfully conduct his orchestra unless he knew what each musical section was playing. The conductor would need to be aware of all the musicians and anticipate their next movement in the music. The model also describes momentum and smoothness. Momentum and smoothness is getting the activities going, to keep moving the students ahead, and to provide smooth transitions from one activity to the next. (Charles, 1999, p. 38) I can also relate this to an orchestra conductor because the conductor is responsible for directing the music. The musicians look to the conductor to begin the musical piece, to conduct them through the movements, and to provide easy transitions from one movement to the next. Enthusiasm and overlapping can also be seen in the orchestra conductor. A teacher's enthusiasm can be contagious for their students. A teacher's excitement can set the tone for any activity. A conductor's body language is a prime example of enthusiasm. Many conductors not only use their arms in conducting, but their body, head, and even their hair are often moving when you reach a critical point in a piece of music. The conductor very often overlaps in his conducting, or attends to two or more issues at the same time. (Charles, 1999, p. 40) There are many musicians in an orchestra and many different types of instruments. The conductor attends to all those people and musical parts at once and still focuses on whatever the main musical tempo is at that time. Upon examining my own teaching style, I can see some of Kounin's model in my own teaching style. When my students first enter the computer lab, we begin by having a group demonstration about the dayís activity. I have my computer set up to a TV monitor so that all students can see what I am doing on my computer. I have set up our procedures so that we see the demonstration first, or what Kounin would describe as group alerting, then students go to their own computers to work on the daily assignment. By the end of the class period, the students are responsible or held accountable for finishing the daily assignment. I also see areas where I am overlapping in my teaching. I am often answering different questions from two or three different students. One may be saving a document, on might be ejecting a disk, or one might be exiting an application. There have also been instances where I am answering the same question for several different students. Even if the students are in different locations in the lab, I can often direct them to the menu and choice they should be making without having to look at their computer screen. I have seen the ripple affect, or reprimanding one student only to find that all students alter their behavior. (Charles, 1999, p. 36) As I described in my paper about punishment, if a student is misusing the computer equipment and I remove the equipment from that one student, the rest of the students will not repeat the behavior. They know that their equipment will be taken away if they misuse it. (Pacey, Lesson 3, question 1) After taking a second look at Kounin's model, I was able to see the similarities between that of a teacher and an orchestra conductor. I was also able to see some of Kounin's model in my own teaching style. I was able to come up with my own metaphor for teaching after reading some of my classmates, my favorites being the gardener (Fulton, lesson 4, question 4) and the traffic cop (Sanford, lesson 4, question 4). So I now add, the Baker. As a teenager, I worked in a bakery during the summers. During my tenure as the donut girl, I watched the baker run the kitchen magnificently. The baker would be baking bread in the oven while frosting a cake while giving directions to his assistant who was mixing the batter for the danish in addition to watching another kitchen helper as they frosted the chocolate donuts. His ability to run the kitchen was simply amazing. Much like the day of a teacher, the baker seemed to know everything that was going on in the kitchen and he was able to direct each worker accordingly. He would be working on several tasks at one time and rarely missed a beat. The baker would meticulously plan, organize and work to make sure he had fresh donuts, danish, cakes, and breads for the wide variety of customers when the bakery opened at 8 am only to do it all over again the next day. It's no wonder my school has donuts every Friday morning! References: Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York. Pacey, M. (2001), CTER, Lesson 3, Question 1. Sanford, E. (2001), CTER, Lesson 4, Question 4. Fulton, D. (2001), CTER, Lesson 4, Question 4.
Lesson 6, Question 2 "Discuss some procedural knowledge that you teach. How do you teach it? What are the important IF conditions? Are there come competing IF-THEN bundles that sometimes confuse students, and you have to help them discriminate among them?" Teaching in a computer lab provides vast opportunities for procedural knowledge. Some of the best examples I can share, are those procedures and IF/THEN statements that we follow each day at the end of the computer class. At the end of each computer period, I will tell the students that it is time to save and exit whatever they are working on. This statement is their cue to begin the "shutdown" procedures. The procedures include: saving whatever documents they are working on, exiting any open applications, ejecting their floppy disk, pushing in their chair, and lining up at the door to leave. While these steps are now procedural knowledge, there was a time when these tasks took serious repetition, practice, or maintenance rehearsal. (Bruning, Schraw, & Ronning, 1999, p. 79) In the beginning of the school year, we would continually have to go through the steps in order for this to become automatic. Instead of the students saving the documents by themselves, we would save work as a group using a projector so students could see the steps on a TV screen as well as listen to the verbal directions. We would also exit applications and remove floppy disks as a group. Week by week, after practicing and repeating shutdown, the steps began to become automatic or procedural knowledge. After a while, I stopped showing the entire group how to save and exit on a weekly basis. I might have had to help a few children on an individual basis, but the majority of the students followed the procedures on their own. As the fall progressed, I would occasionally review the procedures when students would skip steps or forget certain procedures. However, by November (roughly 8 computer lab classes for elementary school students) all groups automatically completed their "shut down" procedures. Within the shutdown procedures there was one crucial IF/THEN statement. Over the summer, we were very fortunate to have our old computer lab replace with new imac computers. With the new imacs came new floppy disk drives that worked quite differently from the old floppy disk drives. In the old drives, when you used Apple-Y to eject the disk, the disk would automatically pop out of the disk drive. However in the new drives, the user would need to push a button in order for the disk to eject. The tricky part was that you must wait for a green light to disappear before pushing the button. If you pushed the button before the green light went off, then you risk damaging the disk and the disk drive. This production became extremely confusing to 1-4 graders because once the green light would go out, they would push the button, but the green light would then go on again in order for the drive to eject the disk. The students would immediately assume that they had done something wrong. When in truth, the green light was just a signal that the drive was working (i.e., saving, loading, or ejecting). I then had to demonstrate that the each drive did this and it was okay as long as the light was off when they first pushed the button to eject. While these tasks were not automatic to begin with, they have now become automatic or procedural through much practice, demonstration, and repetition. It's rare when I have to remind someone about the shutdown procedures. We have since moved on and are building and learning more, which we hope, will someday become procedural knowledge. References: Bruning, R., Schraw, G., & Ronning, R. (1999). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. Chapters 3 & 4, Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall. Pacey, M., Teacher, Wilmette Public School District 2000-2001; Wilmette, IL.
Lesson 7, Question 2 "The use of mnemonics has had a varied history. Currently, their use in vogue, thus a section in the textbook is devoted to a discussion of various types. Not long ago, mnemonics were thought to be a waste of time and that only ìmeaningfulî learning should be attempted in classroom teaching. Designing and learning a mnemonic was thought to be meaningless learning...What is your disposition on their useful ness, and what do they contribute to classroom learning?" I have never taught mnemonics in the computer lab as a strategy to help remember specific technical related information. But, I have used mnemonics while teaching specific applications in order to relate these applications to other areas of a student's learning. A perfect example of this would be in spreadsheets. In teaching spreadsheets, we often cover creating formulas and mathematical equations in the curriculum. To ensure that the equations and formulas work correctly, it is necessary for the user to follow the order of operations when setting up a problem. However, in speaking with the students, when I say follow the order of operations when setting up the equations, students often respond with blank looks or looks of confusion. Generally, all I have to say from there is, "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally."(Leggett, lesson 7, question 2) With this sentence alone, the light bulbs will turn on and we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. The mnemonic, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally helps define the order in which you should attack an equation when attempting to solve it. It means first attack parentheses or exponents, followed by multiplication or division, and finally addition or subtraction. If the student were to set up an equation in a spreadsheet without following the order of operations, they most likely would not get the answer they were looking for. Although I do not teach the mnemonic, Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, I have found it extremely useful in my instruction of spreadsheets. It saves me the step of having to give an explanation for the order of operations. Students almost automatically know what I am talking about with the simple phrase and we can quickly review how the orders of operations work. Then we can jump ahead and start building equations within the spreadsheet. I can also give an example of a situation where a mnemonic was unintentionally a useful tool. Currently, in one of my fourth grade computer classes, we are creating HyperStudio stacks to present research material the class has collected on the seven continents during Social Studies. One student was entering his information into his stack and had a print out of a map of his continent, Australia. In his notes, he knew a particular fact was related to the east side of the continent. However, the map did not have a compass rose to show which direction was which. He asked for my help and a mnemonic from my childhood immediately came to mine, Never Eat Soggy Waffles. (Haberkorn, lesson 7, question 2) When I took the map in my hands, I too had to take a minute to find out which side of the continent was which. While pointing to the directions on the continent, I quietly said, "Never Eat." When the student and others from his group heard me say this, they immediately stopped me. Their reply, "Oh yea, Soggy Wheaties. We forgot about that, we can figure it out from here." Although the mnemonic has changed over time, the concept is the same and they were immediately able to answer their own question. While I don't think mnemonics should "take over" the
curriculum, I do think they are useful tricks in helping
people remember information. For me as a computer lab
teacher, mnemonics have helped to save time while
instructing formulas in spreadsheets and then on a separate
occasion, allowed a group of researchers to answer their own
question. References: Bruning, R., Schraw, G., & Ronning, R. (1999). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. Chapters 3 & 4, Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall. Pacey, M., Teacher, Wilmette Public School District 2000-2001óWilmette, IL. Haberkorn, J. (2001), CTER, Lesson 7, Question 2.. Leggett, K. (2001), CTER, Lesson 7, Question 2.
Lesson 8, Question 2 "Do you thing the phonics vs. whole language debate in the learning to read process, is relevant when thinking about students reading from the computer screen?" The only time I've ever had to "teach" reading was during my student teaching experience. Even though my student teaching required me to be "in charge" of the class for a certain number of weeks, the cooperating classroom teacher was always there to ensure that all the skills were being covered and learned by the students. Since I've graduated from collage, I've spent my days in the computer lab teaching computer skills and haven't really thought about all that goes into teaching reading. While I'm fully aware of the great phonics vs. whole language debate, I've never really taken the time to decide which side of the fence my views belonged to. I honestly had no idea where I should even begin. I know that phonics is based on word attack skills. Breaking down the words in order to find the bigger picture. Webster's dictionary defines phonics as, "a method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups, and especially syllables"(Webster's Dictionary, 2001). I know that whole language is based on emerging children in the literature with the understanding that they will be able to use context to put together the bigger picture. "Children will learn to recognize individual words through actual reading, using context, pictures, and familiar words to understand the meaning of written passages even if they canít read every word"(Palmaffy, 1997). My initial thoughts on the subject are that you really canít have one without the other. Students need both a phonic and a whole language background. All students' strengths are going to be different and both skills are valuable to all readers. In talking with my mother and older sister, both of whom were first grade teachers for a number of years during their careers, they agreed that both were important. My sister stated that whole language readers need the phonetic background because often times although they can read the paragraph and attack the words easily, they don't understand or comprehend what they've read. She would have to go back with the students to break down the words and sentences, as you would with phonics, in order to gain the meaning of what they'd read. (W. Pacey) As for the transference of the debate to the computer screen, I don't really see the relevance. Being in the computer lab, we've spent a great deal of time reading off the computer screen. What I notice about the students is that they use the same attack skills they would normally use in printed text. The only difference is that what they are reading is on the computer screen. I agree with Kathy Leggett in that "Computer screen reading is more demanding, physically, than reading from paper. Computer screen reading is 20-30% slower than reading from hardcopy and is less accurate." (Leggett, Lesson 8, Question 2). Reading from the computer screen is a different kind of reading, but not because of the reading level of the reader, because it is more physically straining. I have seen students use a phonetic based attack approach as well as the whole language based approach. I see the computer in relation to the two arguments as a useful tool for both sides. Many complaints for the phonics based programs is that they are boring and they use too many worksheets. The computer could be an excellent tool in building a phonetic background. There are many software applications that offer the chance for phonics to be interactive and motivational while completing the drill and practice. Teachers can also use the applications to chart a student's progress as many of these programs keep track of growth. As for the whole language side of the coin, the Internet and living books on CD-ROM can provide wonderful opportunities for emerging students into reading. The Internet can also provide students with experiences they might not normally have in their everyday lives. (i.e. virtual museum tours, video clips or pictures from zoos, etc.) Throughout my readings and discussions, I have decided that it is not relevant to bring the phonics vs. whole language debate into the computer lab. Reading is reading, whether it is from a printed piece of paper or the computer screen, students use the same attack skills they would use if they werenít reading from the computer. References Leggett, K. (2001), CTER, Lesson 8, Question 2. Palmaffy, T., (1997), See Dick Flunk, The Heritage
Foundation, Webster's Online Dictionary, http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary . Pacey, W. (2001), Teacher/Guidance Counselor. Report some testimonies when your short-term memory or that of your students appeared to be overloaded. What did you do about it? Short-term memory is defined as a limited capacity, brief-duration memory system. (Bruning, 1999, p. 16) I have seen many instances of short-term memory difficulties in myself as well as in many of my students. Generally speaking, I will write out detailed directions for any assignments we complete in the computer lab. However, occasionally when reviewing skills we have already covered, I have, in the past, tried demonstrating a short review activity, three or four steps total, on the large screen in the hopes that the students will be able to remember the steps and then complete the steps on their own. After many failed attempts, I have learned that even what I find to be a short review activity can be information overload. The students usually get to their computer and are able to complete the first step in the desired activity, but from there the hands start shooting up in the air. Some students remember the first and the third step, but then can't figure out why their activity doesn't look anything like my example. I have watched the faces, the hands hanging over their heads as they are waiting for their turn to be helped, and the occasional question to a neighbor. All the actions show signs of confusion and overload. My aide and I then spend the rest of the computer class running around putting out fires and the review generally ends up being useless because the students don't really know what they've actually done. Although we can generally hold up to seven "chunks" of information in memory at one time, an important part of short-term memory is the amount of time the information is remembered. (Bruning, 1999, p. 37) While I was correct in my thinking that the students would be about to remember three to four steps in an activity, the amount of time I wanted them to remember all that they were to complete was too long. "Information disappears quickly from short-term memory. Information is held there about twenty seconds." (Fulton, 2001) I learned the hard way that it's much easier on my students, my aide, and myself if I just take the 5 minutes to type up the three to four steps in simple directions. I'm really not interested in testing memory, I'm more interested in reviewing the skills we've already covered so that we can move on to bigger and better things. Resources: Bruning, R., Schraw, G., & Ronning, R. (1999). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction. Chapters 3 & 4, Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall. Fulton, D., (2001), CTER, Lesson 5, Question 3. Pacey, M., Teacher, Wilmette Public School District 2000-2001, Wilmette, IL. "Define advance organizers. Relate a psychological theory that best explains why advance organizers should be effective when learning new information. Under what conditions might the use of advance organizers be ineffective?" "Advance organizers are general overviews of new information provided to learners before they actually are exposed to the new information."(Bruning, 1999, p. 88) In my experience, advance organizers can best be used when you are transferring knowledge learned in one setting into a new setting, also know as inert knowledge. In the computer lab, I teach a variety of applications on skills including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and multimedia projects including text and pictures. Many applications have similar attributes even though they may have different functionality. The similar attributes may include similar menus or tool bars. When dealing with elementary aged computer students, spreadsheets and databases can look extremely intimidating when using them for the first time. I use advance organizers to point out the similar attributes between applications so that the new material won't be so intimidating. Once the students see that the menus and tool bars aren't that different from what they've used before, it's much easier to teach the different functions of the new material. The student's transfer the knowledge they already know which, in turn, makes the amount of new material seem smaller. Often times it's just a matter of reminding the students what they already know. Transfer-appropriate processing "does seem to clear student's memories for to-be-learned information." (Bruning, 1999, p. 94) However, in this theory, it does require that the students have the prior knowledge in order to transfer information. (Sanford, Lesson 7, Question 2) I have often seen students who don't yet have a handle on the menu or tool bars struggle with the new material. This is due mostly to the fact that they are required to recall too much information at one time, or information overload. These students may need more practice or assistance in learning new information. Because they haven't yet retained the basic information, using the new skills with skills we've already covered can be difficult. In this case, advance organizers don't really help because the knowledge isn't there to be transferred. In cases like these, students may need more individual assistance or I try to provide them with detailed directions so that they don't have to think about the information we've already covered. The detailed directions give them elaborative rehearsal, "any form of rehearsal in which the to-be-remembered information is related to other information." (Bruning, 1999, p. 79) The elaborative rehearsal also incorporates the new skills but because the directions are so detailed, it helps in preventing information overload in a situation where advance organizers are not a benefit. References: Bruning, R., Schraw, G., & Ronning, R. (1999). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction, Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall. J. Muffy Pacey, Teacher, Wilmette Public School District 2000-2001,Wilmette, IL. Sanford, L., (2001), Lesson 7, Question 1, http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/esanford/399OL/advance.html "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." In "The Writing Conference" video segment, we meet a second grade student named Damion. His teacher, Ms. Dawn Harris Martine, explains to us that Damion loves reading and frequently volunteers to help hold the book and read aloud with the class, but his writing folder has been filled with drawings. Until recently, if Ms. Martine was able to have Damion title his drawing she felt an amount of small success in his writing progress. (The Writing Conference video Segment, 2001) In the video, we see an individual writing conference between Damion and Ms. Martine. Damion has written a story similarly based on The Three Little Pigs. Damion is in the stage referred to as knowledge telling, or repeating what is already known and writing very literally to a text source. (Bruning, 1999, p. 306 & p. 308) Ms. Martine has done a wonderful job of creating an informal, supportive writing climate. (Bruning, 1999, p. 312) She and Damion read the story together out loud and discuss the story together. Ms. Martine does an excellent job of asking questions about the story and the meaning Damion is trying to convey. In Damion's borrowed story, he begins with three sheep, which later turn into pigs. Ms. Martine does a great job of giving both positive and negative examples of writing. She tells Damion how his story reminds her of The Three Little Pigs and points out the inconsistency between his characters. However, she also encourages Damion by telling him many authors rewrite stories they have read by changing the character names and the title. This positive and negative feedback helps students to discriminate between good and bad samples of writing while also beginning to internalize standards for their own writing. (Bruning, 1999, p. 311) I agree with fellow classmates, Jennifer Haberkorn and Rebecca Trigger, that Ms. Martine did a wonderful job in providing positive feedback and a supportive individual conferencing environment. In Damion's case, the positive feedback is vital because he has just begun the writing process. Ms. Martine allows the knowledge telling because she wants to encourage the fact that he has finally started the writing process. However, as Rebecca Trigger stated, I wish the video clip wasn't as short. I would have liked to have seen the next step in building the writing process for Damion. I would imagine the next step in the writing process to be to work on knowledge transforming, where writers construct new knowledge by combining what they know with other ideas, problem solving, and reflective thought. (Bruning, 1999, p. 313) References: Bruning, R., Schraw, G., & Ronning, R. (1999), Cognitive Psychology and Instruction, Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall. Haberkorn, J., (2001), CTER, Lesson 9, Question 3. Trigger, R., (2001), CTER, Lesson 9, Question 3. Video Clip: "The Writing Conference"
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 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?" Generally speaking, I find reading any material from the Internet difficult. Reading from the computer screen, I find that it takes me more time to read and I often have to go back and reread passages for complete comprehension. This doesn't just happen for one specific webpage or article, it actually happens quite frequently. For me, it's not really a problem of comprehending what I'm reading, but more of a physical strain and the change in organization of a piece that challenges me. I would tackle comprehension of a piece of writing using the same skills I would normally use. I would use schema activation, which would incorporate relevant knowledge I may already have. I would look for advance organizers, or clues that would show me what I'm about to learn. I would try learning the new vocabulary I wasn't familiar with and use the context it's used in or find unknown words in the dictionary. (Bruning, 1999, p. 275, 278, 279) But, it's more the way most text is presented on the Internet that makes reading web pages so difficult. The most annoying issue to deal with when reading from the Internet are the advertisements. I don't see how a reader is supposed to understand what they've read when there is a bright advertisement with animated gifs or Java applets flashing directly next to the text. More often than not, if I am bombarded by advertisements, I will simply print out the article and read a hard copy. It's also particularly difficult to read articles of
length from the Internet. Many times, an author fails to
organize the paper so that it is web-friendly. To read, you
have to keep scrolling down the page in order to continue
reading. This can be frustrating because it's easy to lose
your place or scroll too far down the page. Some of the best
web papers I've seen are those that are organized so that
the reader can link to a certain section of the paper. The
contents of the paper are listed at the beginning so that
you can link to a particular section, link back to the
Introduction, and then link to a different section of the
paper. An example of such a paper can be found at the
following website: Text signals are key in writing a paper for the Internet.
It makes it so much easier when an author will bold a new
topic heading or separate sections in a piece with a
question or statement which will be commented on in the next
section of the paper. This give the reader a chance to
switch gears and again gives us a clue as to the
to-be-learned information. A good example of this can be
found at the following website: Overall, I think most web articles are getting easier to read. There are more and more articles, like the ones I've shared, that have made reading from the Internet easier. As I stated earlier, in the worst case scenario, if it's too difficult to read from the web itself, I will print a hard copy and read it from paper. References: Bruning, R., Schraw, G., & Ronning, R. (1999), Cognitive Psychology and Instruction, Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall. Websites: Cromwell, S., (1997), Whole Language and Phonics: Can They Work Together?, http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr029.shtml Reil, M., (2000), New Designs for Connected Teacher and Learning, http://www.gse.uci.edu/mriel/whitepaper "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." I have a hard time painting myself into one corner of the behaviorist vs. cognitive debate. I see pros and cons of each method and believe that I use a little bit of both in my computer classroom. While student error is inevitable in learning and testing, I believe that sometimes we learn best from the mistakes that we make. "Cognition is defined as ëthe mental process or faculty of knowing." (Harris, 1995) Much of what I teach in the computer lab is based on what students already know. In order to move to the next level, there must be a solid foundation or knowledge of the skills before we can expand upon or introduce new knowledge. "The cognitive approach, which recognizes the close relationship between that which is known and that which is to be learned, proceeds to build on this knowledge base by helping the students associate new material with something that is familiar." (Harris, 1995) When introducing a new skill in the computer lab, I will first review all the skills it takes in order to try the new skill. Reviewing the steps will generally gear the students up for what we are about to encounter. For many students, it's just a little refresher, while others who may not have had a handle on the skills the first time can really use it to review and practice what needs to be done. For those students that really have a difficult time remembering some of the basic procedures, I'll include written instructions of the basic skills. It's my hope that the directions will help with the sequencing of the steps, so that the knowledge will one day be procedural based. I've made these minor adjustments to the cognitive theory in order to keep a smooth flow to my computer classes. It allows all students an introduction to new skills even if the prior skills haven't been completely mastered. Students who are ready for the new skills will be able to expand their knowledge base. Those who may not be ready to try the new skills on their own still have a taste of the new skills and an opportunity to practice skills that still need to be mastered. The behaviorist methods can also be largely seen in my computer lab. In the behaviorist theory, "the following are valuable:
Habits and other undesirable responses can be broken by removing the positive reinforcers connected with them. Immediate, consistent, and positive reinforcement increases the speed of learning. Once an item is learned, intermittent reinforcement will promote retention." (SIL International, 1999) So much of attaining computer skills is repetition and practice whether it is with teaching children or teaching adults. Computer skills are about knowing the sequences of the steps and gaining the procedural knowledge. For my students, a positive reinforcer can be a finished product to take home to parents, a special day to invite parents in to see finished projects, or free choice time if they complete a daily assignment before the end of the class. Adults are often thrilled when they master a skill and no longer have to ask for my assistance, but it often takes more practice or repetition before they obtain mastery. Unfortunately, it seems in the computer lab, we all learn best from the negative reinforcers. Students, teachers, adults, and even I have been guilty of making computer errors that were irreversible. In my experience, it's the mistakes of this nature that are often times successful in teaching valuable lessons. I can't tell you how many times I have told students and teachers to make back up copies of their work. However, it only becomes clear to them after they've lost all the information on a floppy disk. After just one time, you'll see people making not only one back up copy, but also two or three extras. Errors are something we will never be able to avoid in learning, testing, or even in daily life, however, the best part of making mistakes is what you learn from them. References: Harris, D., 1995, Cognitive and Learning Memory, http://bobcat.oursc.k12.ar.us/~jdharris/cogmem.html SIL International, 1999, Behaviorist Theories of Learning, http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/literacy/ImplementALiteracyProgram/BehavioristTheoriesOfLearning.htm "One of the features of Glasserís strategy is: Getting students to accept responsibility: What does this mean and where does it fit in with his larger scheme?" I will never forget when I got a detention with three of my friends in the fourth grade. I don't remember the exact reason the detention was issued, but I will never forget my mother's response. Of course, I tried to convince my mother that it wasn't really my fault. It really was the "other girls" doing wrong and I was somehow innocent in the whole scenario. My mother didn't buy the plea and informed me that I would serve the detention. Naturally, I continued to whine and cry. My mother finally said, "In this instance, you may be guilty or you may be innocent, however, there have been other times in your life when you have probably made bad choices or been in the wrong and you got away with it. You will pay the consequences for any wrongdoing by serving this detention." I was dumbfounded and I knew there wasn't any way I was getting out of this detention. I had to accept responsibility for what I had done, and serve the detention with my friends. Accepting responsibility for behavior is something students and adults face on a daily basis. Glasser's strategy maintains that students can accept responsibility and make good choices when they become involved with people who regularly make such choices in their own lives; people such as teachers, and in my case, my parents. (Charles, 1999, p. 184) My mother really showed me about accepting responsibility that day. I learned that I couldn't make excuses or tell lies to get out of trouble. Accepting responsibility is taking ownership of your behavior and the choices you make. Another saying my mother always liked was, "you made your bed, now youíve got to lie in it." Meaning you have to live with the choices you make, no matter what the outcome of the situation might be. Accepting responsibility fits into Glasser's larger scheme as follows. Glasser states that all classrooms need rules with logical consequences. Teachers take on a leadership role in which they try to help students make good choices and model good behavior. Teachers should not accept excuses for poor behavior choices, much like those I was trying to give my mother about the detention. Classroom meetings can also be used as venues to problem solve. It provides students with the opportunity to suggest solutions and mediate problems within the classroom and with other peers. (Charles, 1999, p. 182) Glasser's model also suggests that students be involved in discussing the "relevance of curriculum materials, enlightened assessment procedures and student participation in decision making." (Anderson, 2001) Because many of the aspects of Glasser's model involve student involvement in problem solving and classroom decision making, accepting responsibility for one's actions becomes a key component. If students are expected to help make such important classroom decisions, they also need to accept responsibility for poor choices. References: Anderson, T., (2001), Glasser PowerPoint Presentation. Charles, C.M. (1999), Building Classroom Discipline, Longman: New York.
Lesson 14 Question 3 "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 "wannabes" or members in your school, classroom, or laboratory?" When I started to investigate in order to answer this question, I was quite surprised to learn that the police department has listed activity from two gangs, The Vice-Lords and The Latin Kings. The community I teach in is a well-to-do white-collar neighborhood. Many parents hold degrees beyond their Bachelor's and are in high-income jobs. Because I teach in a Kindergarten through 4th grade elementary school in a northshore suburb of Chicago, I really did not believe I would find any information on gang activity. Upon researching the two gangs, I was able to find out the following information about their symbols and infrastructure. Vice Lords
Latin Kings
Teaching in an elementary school, I have not seen any behavior I would consider being gang-related. Although there have been reports of gang members as young as nine or ten, our school does not show any signs of the elementary aged students participating in any gang activity. At this time, gang activity does not effect the school I teach in or the students I interact with. I sent an email to the principals of the middle school (Grades 5 & 6) and the jr. high school (Grades 7 & 8) asking them if they have seen any gang related activity with the older school children. The middle school principal reported no gang activity and the jr. high school guidance counselor reported only one issue during his 32 years of service. He claimed a dress code deterred any gang-related dress and a proactive discipline policy also deterred any behavior issues. (Principal and Guidance Counselor Email Responses, 2001) However, upon further investigation, I was able to find the signs of gang activity. Graffiti can be found under bridges in close to the city line between another suburb. I spoke with a few people that I work with about gang activity in the high school and I received mixed reviews. One parent was surprised to learn that gangs even existed in our community. Another parent asked her son about gang activity in our high school. He acknowledged gang existence, but said it wasn't really a big deal. The street gangs don't appear to have a large influence or presence in our school system. Although he did go on to say that more recently, there has been a growth in white supremacy groups or skinhead types. (Parent Interviews, 2001) If I were to come across a situation where I was to interact with students that fell into the "gang wannabe" category; I would try to get the student involved in extra-curricular activities. Many students that fall in the "wannabe" category simply need to belong to a social group of some type. By encouraging extra-curricular school activities such as sports or clubs, I would hope that the student would find a sense of belonging and no longer turn to the gang scene. References: Gary Burnett, (1994), Gangs in Schools, http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/digests/dig99.html . Gangs 101, (2001), http://www.lincolnnet.net/users/lrttrapp/block/gangs101.htm . Latin Kings, (2001), http://www.angelfire.com/hiphop/sketchings/latin.html . Vice Lords, (2001), http://www.chitown.com/bigshoulders/gngmvlor.html . Parent Interviews, (2001). Principal and Guidance Counselor Email Responses, (2001). "Research and describe the mediation
process. Use my paper, and information from other websites
as a starting point. Write about the following issues and
others of your choice: Are mediation and negotiations skills
important life skills, or are they just reasonable ways to
talk about a conflict? 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?" "Webster's Dictionary defines mediation as the act or process of mediating; especially: intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or compromise." (Webster's Dictionary, 2001) "Mediation is a process in which disputants agree to negotiate a conflict under the leadership of a third party, often called a mediator. The mediator plays a neutral role in the discussions and is there to facilitate the procedures agreed to by the disputants." (Anderson, 1999) Conflict, incompatibility, difference of opinion; these are issues people deal with on a daily basis. Mediation can be an excellent tool in solving problems of this nature. Mediation allows for each person to explain their interpretation of a situation or "their side of the story." Mediation gives the opportunity for each person to express how they perceive a situation. Disputants also offer suggestions they feel are satisfactory in finding common ground or a solution to the conflict. We have seen the mediation process in politics in the forms of peace talks. As Sara stated in her mediation paper, "Just think about what kind of place the world would be if our leaders didn't possess negotiation and mediation skills." (Barnett, 2001) The art of compromise and mediation are skills I will always appreciate. It's important to realize that not everything is going to go your way 100% of the time. When you deal with other people or groups of people, compromise is essential. I always remember the saying, "You can please all of the people some of the time. You can please some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." No matter what you do to avoid it, conflict or difference of opinion will be situations everyone must face. By starting the mediation process early, as many schools have, we are modeling how to compromise and problem solve solutions. We learn that sometimes you are pleased with the outcome and sometimes you have to sacrifice more than you would like. I have seen the most success in the mediation process when teachers and students undergo formal training. When I taught middle school, we had a Conflict Mediation group. Our school initially received training from an outside group of experts on the mediation process, but from then on, teachers and students went on to train new mediators and teacher supervisors. After their formal training sessions, students were able to conduct the mediation sessions before school, during lunch, and after school. However, what I noticed is those mediation skills were carried through to every aspect of school, and I would imagine their life out of school. When conflicts would arrive in the classroom, the mediators would take charge and have students start offering up suggestions as to what we might do to create a better situation. (Pacey, Indianapolis) Overall, I have seen the positive effects of teaching mediation skills and personally believe that they are valuable life skills. References: Anderson, T. (1999), A Treatise on Conflict in the Classroom. Barnett, S. (2001), CTER, Lesson 14, Question 6. J. Muffy Pacey, Teacher,
Webster's Online Dictionary, 2001, http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary |