Module 5

Concept 1: Learning Strategies:

 Summary: In this section we learn about the different types of learning strategies and how they can be helpful to each student. “Learning strategies are a special kind of procedural knowledge - knowing how to do something” (Woolfolk 344). There are so many different types of learning strategies. Some might be general and some could be specific to what is being taught. They also could be cognitive like summarizing and identifying. Some learning strategy categories are planning and focusing attention, organizing and remembering, comprehension, cognitive monitoring, and practice. All of these categories will get broken down into smaller examples that we can use in our future classrooms to help our students succeed. Some practices might be more helpful to certain students and it's important to find out what works for each student. 

Reflection: Learning about the different learning strategies was really helpful for my future teachings. As a student, who has been in school for quite some time, it has taken me a while to figure out what has worked for me. I’ve had to learn how to balance work, school, and life and that entails balancing how I learn. Not only balancing all of that but the best way that I learn. I’ve had to figure out how I process lectures and retain information. For me, it's best if I sit and listen to lectures rather than try to take the most perfect notes. If I try to catch up with taking notes and making sure I have all the information, I won’t actually process what I’m writing but instead just how I’m writing. It's best for me to just sit and listen and go back in my book later or get the notes from an upload source. If I do take notes I find that summarizing works really well instead of getting every word down. I use a lot of bullet points and outlines. In high school, I used to highlight a lot, making my notes really appealing and pretty. I’ve learned that having the information down and accurate is the most important. As long as I can go back and utilize those notes later that's what is important. I am very visual what it comes to learning so having long lectures I get very unfocused. It's probably best if I don’t take notes on my computer.

Concept 2: Technology and Learning

Summary:  In this section we learn about the use of technology and how it can be used in learning. Technology can be very complex and the idea of using it in learning can improve achievement. “Computers are more likely to increase achievement if they support the basic processes that lead to learning: active engagement, frequent interaction with feedback, authenticity and real-world connection, and productive group work” (Woolfolk 410). Students can learn through a virtual learning environment, technology-rich environment, and personal-learning environments. 

Reflection: I believe that technology can be a great support for education and can offer many new avenues for students. It can help bring a new level of engagement to students. Especially ones who prefer more visual or hands on activities. In one of my previous classes we had to “raise a child” through an online program. I would consider this a technology program that we used to further our engagement and learning. We had to use our computer to log into this program frequently to raise our child and make choices about how we would virtually raise them. It was a great opportunity to use a new system and answer questions about future scenarios. Virtual learning environments is a very broad term that describes many ways of learning in a virtual or online system. That was just one way I have used it in the past. In our class we used Brightspace which connects all of us in the class together and we can communicate very quickly. I mean, we are all working from home or other spaces remotely but have access to a platform with no troubles (hardly). Technology really advances learning and has changed the way education is going to be in the future. 

Concept 3: The Flipped Classroom 

Summary: A flipped classroom is where the learning is focused on student engagement and active learning. “In a flipped classroom what usually happens in class- lessons, lectures, note taking, worksheets, direct teaching- is moved outside class, and what usually happens at home- homework, projects, practice- happens in class under the teachers supervision and support” (Woolfolk 418). This type of teaching holds students more accountable for their learning. Teachers are not the sole provider for the teaching.

Reflection: I’ve talked about flipped classrooms in a previous course and the idea if I could do them. I find the concept very interesting. Honestly, I think as an adult student I could do it. The idea of a flipped classroom is very self- directed and self-motivated. The teacher presents the material and I sort of have to teach myself. I find this concept much like an online class, I could be very off base. In online classes a lot of the material is posted on an online platform and you watch or look at a presentation or even sometimes you read some material and then you do the homework, the quiz or whatever else you are asked to do. In essence, you are teaching yourself. The nice thing about the flipped classroom is you meet to do homework, ask questions, or do practices. I think if this was a type of study I had to do in highschool I don’t think I would have done it because I had NO self-discipline and would not have read or studied any materials. Now, I think I have the self-discipline to be more engaged in the class. 

Module 4

Concept 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Summary: “Maslow (1970) suggested that humans have a hierarchy of needs ranging from lower level needs for survival and safety to higher-level needs for knowledge and understanding and finally self-actualization “ (Woolfolk 465). This set of needs range from the lower level like safety and belonging. These lower-level needs must be met first before the higher level ones can be addressed. One of the critics about this theory is that people go back and forth between all these needs throughout their life and don’t necessarily have to hit these needs in order. Self-actualization is the term for self-fulfillment and that you have reached your potential. 

Reflection: I believe that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be very useful in classrooms. Oftentimes in situations with our students they might not be able to verbalize or communicate what they are feeling and as teachers we need to use our skills to figure out what they need. A lot of my current students really struggle with lessons right before lunch and that's because their needs aren’t being met. Why? Because they are hungry. In the text it says, “When children are hungry, they will have trouble focusing on academic learning” (Woolfolk 465). I mean as adults we often get “hangry” and it's the same thing, our needs are not getting met. If we work with younger students or even special needs students who can’t always explain to use what they need we need to be their advocate and help them. As adults we understand a little bit more what they might need so it's our job to help them figure it out. We provide our students with sets of rules for their safety (and ours sometimes) and have to teach them right from wrong. Some of these needs are second nature and our students don’t have to think about things like oxygen and rest but the safety needs we need to teach, as well as esteem needs. I know in my school we teach emotional regulation and how students can safely express their emotions. We teach them it's okay to be mad and sad but it's not okay to be unsafe. We also teach them “why” questions and to ask questions to gain knowledge. It's natural to be curious about the world but how to do it safely. I think Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is great and very useful for individuals and in classrooms. 

Concept 2: Supporting Autonomy

Summary: This section talks about how children spend the majority of their time in schools where people decide what they are going to do. Students often have their schedule laid out for them and are told numerous times to follow it. In an earlier section we learned about self-determination. “..self-determination and a sense of internal locus of causality are crucial to maintaining intrinsic motivation and student engagement” (Woolfolk 493). By providing students with choices it increases engagement and motivation. Teachers need to be aware not to provide too many choices because this can be counterproductive. There is also a bounded choice, this is where you give students a range of options that set valuable tasks for them but also allow them to follow personal interests (Woolfold 493). It is important to find a good balance between the two. 

Reflection: Majority of the time students do not have the ability to make choices in their education. Something I have learned since working in a school and starting my education program is how important it is to provide students with choices whenever possible. Providing students with choices can increase their engagement and motivation This allows them to really make the most out of their strengths, and enable them to meet their individual learning needs. One of the times my students always choose is what they are working for. This is never a discussion and as long as we have that reward they can work for it. Even if we don’t have the reward in our class we will ask other classes if they do because if a student is motivated to WANT to work we want them to earn that reward. But there are times we have to have students learn that change happens and they need to learn that too. We also provide students with choices on where they want to learn sometimes. If we have independent work they may want to change their location. This is not always going to happen but occasionally it does. Also when we have free time we have students choose what they want to do. This could be a sensory bin, a break, coloring, or reading a book. It allows students to use their voice and really think about what they want to do instead of me picking for them. Another thing we have students choose is their lunch, we have them tell us what they want rather than us giving them everything the school provides. It's a way to work on “yes and no” and their choices. Oftentimes they will realize they do or don’t want something so we help them with those corrections. By having choices it not only provides engagement but a sense of independence for our students. 

Concept 3: Formative and Authentic Classroom Assessments

Summary: Formative assessments can help from and support instruction. They provide feedback and don’t necessarily count for a grade. “Informal assessments are ungraded assessments that gather information from multiple sources to help teachers make decisions” (Woolfolk 603). Some informal assessments are exit flips and journals. These are great ways for students to provide feedback for what they learned and to help the teacher in future lessons. Authentic assessments ask students to apply the skills they have learned as they would to real life. An example would be reducing fractions in a recipe. Assessments are a great way to see if students are learning skills and lessons and to provide feedback to the instructor.

Reflection: After reading this section (and learning from my previous classes) some of the assessments I plan to use in my future classrooms are exit slips. I’ve used this a few times in some classes I’ve taken and found them to be pretty productive. They can be used in many ways. The teacher can ask questions you need to answer, you can provide feedback, or jot down a few thoughts. This is a ticket that is used when the lesson is over and needed to leave the classroom. The reason I find this great is because it can help the teacher learn what the students need to work on but also what the teacher needs to work on. It works both ways because both areas might be struggling. In my past class I had to also write what I might start to implicate in my future classrooms. As I’ve stated before I want to teach special education so something I want to use is the “stop light system”. This is a system where students can choose red, yellow, or green to show how they feel about what they’ve just learned green if they feel comfortable, yellow if they feel okay, and red if they are confused. This shows the teacher whose students stand. It also helps because it is a visual aid that is paired with an emotion that helps students understand. I also like the idea of “Think-Pair-Share”. This is a differentiated instruction strategy. You start by asking each student to think about a specific topic or answer a given question. Next, the students pair together to discuss things they found. Finally, each pairing will  share their thoughts with the class. I like this idea because it allows students to work together and really think about what they learned within the lesson. Overall, I believe formative assessments are a great idea to use within the classroom before and after a lesson.